Through the Fire and the Flames
by SupernaturalCanary19
Summary: Alan fails to tell his family about a mishap on their lastest mission and its costs him big time.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well hey there everyone (: I know I promised to update my Supernatural fic, but this just called out to me, plus I needed a small break from the other fic, I was completely stuck. Any suggestions would be nice! Well, this is going to be a few chapters long, nothing to major. Reviews would be great, they do help! Thanks, and please be patient with my uploading speed. **

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Chapter One. 

"What the hell were you thinking?" Jeff Tracy yelled, rage flying everywhere. He stared across his desk with wide eyes, at his youngest whose face was tilted down. He had hidden his face for e few reason that were unknown to the elder Tracy. For one, his face was pinched and he was biting his lip to stop himself from crying out from the searing pain in his back. The other was so his father couldn't see the incomprehensible guilt splayed over his teenage features. But, his father hadn't bothered to understand why he was hardly moving.

Jeff slammed his fists down hard against the wood of his desk. He didn't feel any pain, just a blind anger at his son. In truth, he wasn't really angry. Well, he was, he was furious, but his concern for his youngest outshone the anger... On the inside. However, on the outside, he was pretty sure that Alan was not looking at him because he felt ashamed at what he had just pulled.

They had recently been called out; not just an hour ago, summoned by a gas plant fire. The fire had been created by a small leakage of gas which had spread to one of the fires that was used to fuel the heating systems. Soon, the fire had covered most of the plant.

_Flashback. _

"_ETA one minute." Virgil said loudly. From where they were they could see huge plumes of smoke rising high into the air, hanging over the plant menacingly. They were at least a mile away, and the sheer scale of the fire could be told from the amount of billowing black fog. _

"_FAB Virg," Scott, Alan and Gordon replied almost simultaneously. Alan quickly looked away from his brother Gordon, of whom he had glanced at to see if he could work out whether to be feeling scared or not. His answer was the latter, as his elder brother looked in the least bit concerned. It was just another day in the office for him. Alan huffed as the loomed closer, speeding for the fire, and his stomach clenched unwillingly. _

_His fear only grew as him and Gordon exited TB2 and headed over to a burley looking police officer who grunted as they reached him. Alan saw his dad a little way off, trying to check the building for any people left inside. A small crowd of workers stood behind them as they on- looked the flames that licked one side of the building. The flames caused the air around Alan to feel burning and he subconsciously pulled at the collar of his uniform. _

"_It seems like there are still some people left inside the building on the second floor, but it's almost impossible to reach them. The flames have nearly consumed the area, if they haven't already. I'm sorry boys; it looks as though we're going to have to let them go." Jeff walked up nest to them, his voice cracking with sadness. His vice was desperately solemn as he saw his elder son's faces fall. _

_Alan's however creased with anger and he clenched his fists painfully. Before he could comprehend what he was doing, he had sprinted away from his brothers and dad, and dived straight through the open doors to the burning building. He could hear his family calling his name, but he didn't care. Why shouldn't they at least try to save innocent people from dying?_

"_Alan, what the hell are you doing? Get back here now!" Scott's voice floated over the headset, his fear mingled with fury. Alan shook his head, choosing to ignore his brother, and took a left towards a set of stair, diving up them quickly. _

_Suddenly, a low rumble echoed behind him, and he began to loose balance as the floor above him shook. Yelping, he dived forwards, but he didn't make it fully out of the way in time as the ceiling collapsed in on him, sending rubble shooting towards his mostly unprotected body. He leapt, but a searing pain scraped down his back, sending his sprawling forwards, head first, onto the ground. He winced as his ribs came sharply into contact with the stairs. He grunted as he felt the material on his back rub against the cut he knew he had acquired. _

"_Alan!" He heard more frequent yells over the headset, but he growled and forced himself up, once again ignoring the calls. Focusing on breathing and trying to block out the pain that radiated all over his body, he sprinted up the stairs. He forgot his back quickly however, as he heard very feint calls from the people trapped inside. They were still alive!_

_Grimacing, Alan could feel the air getting hotter and he knew he was getting close to the fire. He coughed, bringing his arm up to cover his mouth. He flinched as his ribs and back screamed in protest when he shoved open the door to the second floor with his other hand. Looking left, he stopped briefly as he saw an eerie orange glow accompanied by white smoke floating out from underneath another door around half way down the huge corridor. _

_He breathed in heavily before running over to the large door, his fear promptly diminished and replaced by desperation. _

"_Hello?" he yelled, stopping outside the door, "Is anyone still in there?" Pausing, he strained to hear any sign of life from within. In a quick response, he heard yells of confirmation, louder this time. _

_Coughing again, he braced himself, brought up his foot and kicked hard into the wood. It splintered on the first time and he shoved it down the rest of the way. He dived into the room, stopping abruptly to take in the horror that greeted his eyes. _

_Flames ran down the side of the large room, and there were barrels of what he assumed were full of oil just a few feet away. Any minute they would explode, taking this place and the people trapped inside including him, with it. _

_He spotted them at the very front of the room, just to his right. There were three from what he could see. Two men and a woman. _

_Shaking his head, he sprinted forwards, his back niggling, taking in what he could see, coming to a halt in front of the flames that separated him from them, and glanced at their faces which were pictures of terror. _

"_Hang n!" he shouted, quickly looking around, searching for something that he could use. Suddenly he spotted a small metal desk next to him, and raced over to it. It looked completely out of place, but he didn't really care. He sighed in relief and dragged it back to the people, groaning quietly as his back pulled, and he heard more yells over the com. Stopping short at the flames once again, he pushed the table over the flames, hoping to create some sort of bridge. He grinned as his plan worked and the flames were trapped underneath. _

"_Quick!" he yelped, eyes wide as the first began to clamber over, gasping as the heat licked their skin. They promptly dropped down and charged over to the door, while the next person climbed over. As soon as they were all over, Alan checked for any injuries, and seeing that there weren't, he hurried them outside, his own body throbbing excruciatingly. They hurried back down the hall and clambered once more over the rubble on the stairs, heading for the front doors. Alan's stomach twisted as he made out the figures of his brothers and father, Gordon being restrained from charging towards him by Scott and Virgil. The bright light cut into his already painful head and he squinted as he drew closer to the door. He managed a weak smile. _

_Suddenly, a huge explosion sounded behind him and he twisted round just in time to see rubble, flames and wood flying his way He shoved the backs of the people in front of his and screamed as he leapt sideways and landed on his bloody back. He whimpered as he rolled over on the concrete and shielded his face with his arms. _

"_Crap! I am so dead." He thought as he made out the blurry figures of his brothers coming towards him. _

_End of Flashback. _

Alan whimpered inaudibly as his dad rounded on him again. He had managed to hide his back and discomfort from everyone, brushing it off as nothing. Luckily, his suit hadn't been stained by any blood. He was surprised at that, bearing in mind he could feel the sticky substance running down his back. It was all he could do to stop himself from screeching out with pain as he looked as his dad.

He could hear that he was being yelled at, but his head was dizzy and the floor was long since blurry. Nodding his head as his dad came to the end of the rant, he fled out of the room, not sparing a glance back as he heard his name being called. Barrelling into his room, he ripped open his suit, charged into the bathroom and promptly threw up, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. Just before everything started to spin, he collapsed against the side of his bath, grimacing. He could taste blood…

Dark spots danced around his vision and he whimpered, everything suddenly going dark. Pain erupted on him in waves and he cried out.

His last bit of strength letting go; he took one last deep breath before falling into oblivion.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: WOW! Thanks for the amazing reviews I got for my first chapter, I definitely wasn't expecting it! ^^ Well, here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy! Sorry that it's so short, but I will be getting a longer one up soon! **

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Jeff sighed as he eyed his youngest storm out of his room in a hurry. He frowned. Something had seemed wrong with Alan today, and he couldn't quite place what it was. Whenever Alan had managed to meet his eyes, they had seemed alive with something, and he knew that it wasn't excitement. What would he have had to be excited about? Sighing again, he stood up heavily and made his way over to the door wearily.

A few minutes later, he popped his head into the living room, spying his three other sons that were still on Earth's atmosphere. Wondering mildly where Alan was, he smiled at Scott Virgil and Gordon.

"Great job today boys, two rescues both went well." He looked on proudly at his boys, but quickly found his grin fading as he took in the serious expressions that they all wore. "What is it?" he asked hesitantly, even though he could guess. It was Scott that replied first, and his tone was one of irritation and stress.

"He could have died in there dad. Why didn't you let us go and get him?" Jeff knew instantly that he was talking about Alan and he paused, trying to find some way of explaining it to his sons.

"Look…" he began, a lump in his throat rising painfully. "Alan is capable of handling himself. I know he can be a bit hasty some times," he heard Gordon snort, somewhere off to his left, "but, he got the people out unharmed. I've already given him a talking to, so don't give him a bad time ok?" He gazed sternly at his three sons, who looked up at him with baleful eyes. Upon hearing three muttered "alright"'s, he smiled.

"Oh, talking about Alan, did he pass any of you three after he almost sprinted out of my room earlier?"

"No, dad, we thought he was with you the whole time." Scott said, a frown beginning to mar his features. A sudden worry began to wash over him, being the oldest, he was always over protective. Virgil and Gordon had recently taken it upon them to call him "grandma", which irritated the hell out of him.

Standing up, he glanced at his father. "I'll go look for him." Without another word, he departed from the room and made a beeline towards where he guessed Alan might be.

Turning right, he jogged down one of the long corridors and pulled to a stop outside Alan's door. Knocking gently on the wood, he waited patiently for an answer.

When he received none, his worry began to grow and he pounded on the door with his fist. "Alan?" He yelled through the wood. Finally, he grabbed the handle and turned it, stepping swiftly into Alan's cluttered room. Looking at the bed, and seeing it empty, he swivelled round, calling for Alan.

Suddenly, he saw the door to Alan's en suit bathroom slightly open. Bounding forwards, he pushed open the door.

And screamed.

"ALAN!!"

Racing over to his brother's form, his heart pounded in his chest and his breathing grew heavy. Dropping to his knees, he turned his youngest brother over, head spinning when he saw blood dripping from a jagged and deep cut that stretched the length of Alan's back.

_OhGodOhGodOhGod._

Faintly pondering how Alan had managed to keep this from them, he pushed his fingers sharply into Alan's neck; sure he wasn't going to be able to find a pulse as his hands were shaking so badly. Breathing a tiny sigh of relief, he felt a straggled pulse underneath his fingers and he turned his attention to the rest of Alan's body.

It looked like his brother had been crushed. Literally. Bruises lined his chest and ribs, black purple and red all swirling into one. Small cuts littered his whole frame and his shoulder was pushed out at a twisted angle. Choking at the sight, he screamed again for his brothers.

Pulling his brother up carefully, he checked his back again. Air sliced through his teeth as he caught sight of his baby brother's mangled back. Biting back his tears, he was aware of his brothers and father race into the room.

He couldn't hear their hurried footsteps. He couldn't hear their gasps and cries. He didn't feel Virgil pull him away from Alan. He could see his brother's mouth moving like he was yelling, but no noise came out. Stumbling backwards, he was faintly aware of someone catching as he slumped back and was consumed by darkness.

-:0:-

"Scott!" Gordon yelled as he saw his older brother sway and fall backwards. Reaching out to catch him, he lowered him gently and felt for a pulse. He felt a quick but steady one and breathed out. Putting it down shock, he turned round to his dad and brother working feverishly on his younger brother, Alan. Tears pricking at the corner of his eyes, he gasped as he saw the bad shape his usually bubbly brother was in.

_Why did you keep this from us Alan? God, please, please, please makes him ok!_

He could hear his calm and mild mannered brother Virgil yelling things out at random to their father whose face had a look of shock. Feeling tears spill out of his eyes, he dropped next to Virgil, choking as the tears tracked down his face. He watched, feeling useless, as his brother and father lifted his brother up and rushed out of the door, supporting Alan's prone figure between them. He heard a tiny sob emit from Virgil's mouth, one that he had tried unsuccessfully to smother, before hurrying out of the room.

"Gordon, help Scott up and quickly. God, he's lost so much blood! Hurry!" He heard his father's cry and he shuffled over to Scott, shaking him ruefully. Suddenly, Scott's eyes sprang open and he looked confused, inhaling air deeply. Then an understanding look passed through his eyes. He shot up, face growing pale and yelled his brother's name.

"Alan! Oh my God, where is he Gordo?" Seeing his usually strong brother cracking, Gordon sniffed, pulling his brother up sharply.

"They're taking him to the hospital. Scotty, what if he doesn't make it? What if…" He broke off, staring needfully into his brothers eyes.

Scott stared down at Gordon. The look in his brother's eyes reminded him of Alan when he was a little lost kid. Sobbing, he drew his brother into a bone-crushing hug. "He's gonna be fine, Gordy. Fine." He whispered into his brother's ears, before pushing him away and looking at his brother's face again. Wiping away tears that trickled down his face, he stared at Gordon meaningfully. "Fine."

Suddenly, he shuddered, remembering when he had seen Alan first. Seeing his brother so lifeless, covered in his own blood like that… He whimpered inwardly and looked down at the blood stain on the floor. Feeling his brother's gaze follow his, he could feel Gordon shake against him, before looking the other way, unable to see Alan's life covering the floor.

Pulling his brother's arm into his, he walked out of the room unsteadily, head still ringing from fainting. Dragging his uncertain brother down the hall, he raced along, desperate to see his baby again.

_God Alan, be ok. I can't live without you. Please, please be alright! _

He knew that Gordon was thinking along the same lines as him, and his stomach twisted itself into knots.

He wasn't sure if their family could survive without Alan. He was SURE that Gordon couldn't, as he was the closest with Alan. He also knew that he couldn't either.

He needed his brother.

Badly.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey everyone! How has your week been? Mine has been great! Thanks to my REVIEWERS! I really appreciate the feedback, and how kind it is! Thanks a lot, and enjoy the next instalment! It isn't HUGELY long, and not much actually happens, but I have changed my mind and this story is going to be a long one, as I have though of a further storyline. Hope you like it!**

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_His brother was dying. _

_Right in front of him, his baby brother was dying. _

_He had watched as his fragile frame was smothered by heavy concrete, watched as his head smashed into the hard ground. He had watched his little brother's life being taken away from him slowly, bit by bit, right in front of him. _

_And all he could do was stare. Stare into his brother's baby blue eyes. Those which reminded him so much of his mother, now cloudy with pain, grief and sorrow. He had failed him. Failed to protect him. He had only been the other side of the room as the ceiling collapsed on top of him. _

_He had failed Alan, his brothers, his father and his mother. All of them, in just a few seconds. _

_Blood had soon begun to pool around his baby's form and he had cried out in anguish. _

"_Nonononono. Don't die, don't die. If you die, I'll die baby brother. I can't live without you! ALAN!"_

"Alan!"

Scott jerked up in his seat; eyes suddenly open wide, searching wildly for the comfort of his little brother's form. Breathing deeply as the events of yesterday attacked him, he squeezed his eyes shut again. He remembered. He was sitting in the hospital, after him and his family had raced Alan there, not a word being spoken between them. As the memories from yesterday haunted him, he could feel his family's gaze on him. Those memories which had just replayed them self in his head caused guilt to bubble up in him and he suddenly felt nauseous.

Prying open his eyes, he turned to see Virgil, Gordon and his father staring at him, concern evident in their faces. Seeing red, bloodshot eyes looking at him, he knew he wasn't the only one that hadn't slept much.

They had called John earlier, telling him about what had happened to Alan, and as they had guessed, he had demanded someone go pick him up. Jeff had spoken to Brains, and they were – Scott checked his watch – on their way back down at this very minute. Everyone knew that Alan and John were very close, and as expected, he was almost jumped down their throats, ordering them to tell him what was wrong, and tears springing to his eyes.

"You okay Scotty?" said a bleak voice, coupled with tiredness, making his father sound ten years older than he was. Bringing himself back down to Earth, he looked at Jeff and sighed, nodding wearily.

Rubbing his hands over his face, he stood up, announcing that he needed a coffee, and headed off down the hall in search of a machine.

Jeff watched his eldest son go with concern in his eyes. He knew how badly this was affecting him and it pained him to realise that he could do nothing to ease his son's hurt. Looking at Scott's back again, he sighed deeply. How could he convince him that it wasn't his fault?

"Dad?" asked a small, timid voice, "Is Alan going to be okay?"

Jeff's eyes widened as he heard Gordon's voice sound so little and lost. He hadn't heard him talk like that since Virgil had broken his arm when Gordon was just six. Staring at Gordon, he placed a hand on his son's face, drawing him into a hug.

"He'll be fine Gordo, just you wait." He felt a small nod against his chest as he looked over the top of Gordon's head at Virgil.

His face was cast downwards; posture slumped as he twiddled his thumbs around each other. Hearing a huff from Virgil, he released Gordon, who stood up, said that he was also going to get a drink and find Scott, unable to bear the waiting any longer. Sighing for what he felt was the hundredth time; he watched another one of his sons walk away from him.

Turning to his last remaining son with him, he frowned slightly when he saw Virgil shaking.

"Virg? Virgil, are you alright?" Putting a hand onto his shoulder, he turned Virgil towards hi and was taken aback when he saw tears making their way down his face. "Oh God, Virgil, what's up?" Waiting for a few seconds, he strained to hear the choked reply.

"How could we… we have missed this dad? What…what if we loose him just because we let him go?" _What if I loose him because I was too stupid not to see that my baby brother was bleeding out right in front of our eyes? I'm supposed to know this, how could I be so selfish? _Peering up into his father's eyes, he felt a sense of despair wash over him and he struggled away from his Jeff's grip and retreated into himself.

Watching Virgil's behaviour, Jeff shook his head in disbelief.

"Virgil. I am telling you that Alan will be fine. This is in no way your fault, you understand me?" He said sternly, staring intently at his son. Receiving a small shrug, he put an arm round Virgil. "Virgil?" Getting a nod, he smiled slightly and put a finger under his son's chin, lifting his face to meet his.

"Go get a drink, son. And make sure those two eat something, won't you? You know what Scott is like." He watched his son smile and grinned as Virgil stood up and left, leaving Jeff to his thoughts.

_Oh Lucy, please protect our boys. If I loose Alan…. God, it will ruin them. Please, keep him safe. _

"DAD! Where's Alan? Have they said anything? Where are Scott, Virg and Gordo? What's happening?"

Head swivelling quickly, he turned to see John running at him, panic written over his features.

"Dad? What's going on?"

Standing up and pulling his son into a firm hug, he thanked Lucy silently for bringing his boy back down safely. Guiding John into a seat, he placed his hand firmly on John' shoulder and took a deep breath.

"Relax John, your brothers are getting something to drink. As for Alan, the doctors haven't-"

"Mr Tracy?"

Pausing, he looked up at a woman standing a few feet away with a tired look on her face. He stood up quickly, feeling his heart quicken and hastened to reply.

"Yes? Is there any news on Alan? How's my son?"

Not liking the look that passed over her face, he felt John stiffen next to him.

"Maybe you'd like to take a seat?" She gestured to the chairs sheepishly at the look on Jeff's face.

"No! Just, please tell me about my son. What happened? Is he okay?" Breathing deeply, he watched as the young woman frowned, as though trying to think of how to say something.

"Mr Tracy, I'm Dr. Daniels, Alan's doctor. The good news is that Alan made it through surgery without any complications and is now resting. You can see him soon if you like. However, he suffered large blood loss which was caused by a large gash on his back. Three of his ribs were cracked and a few bruised. We won't know if there will be any lasting damage until he wakes up." Her voice was soft as she looked at the reactions of the two men standing in front of her. Both men's faces instantly lit up and their eyes suddenly became alive. Smiling, she watched as the younger scooted round the other and came to a stop next to her.

"Can we see him now?" His face was turned up in hope as she nodded and he glanced back at his dad.

"I'll go find Scott, Virg and Gordon. Go ahead in; I'll be there in a minute." Turning abruptly, eager to see his youngest, he jogged off his search of his others.

"Lead the way!" John smiled at Dr Daniels who turned round and led him to a door just down the corridor. Pausing outside, she turned to him, face screwed up slightly.

"He's hooked up to a few machines at the minute, so be warned. They're only to help him, but still…" she trailed off leaving John to figure out the rest. "I'll be back soon to check on him. Just press the button next to his bed if you need any help."

Smiling his thanks, he watched as she walked off before turning to the door and taking a deep breath. Opening it quickly, he entered. Spotting his brother lying on a bed asleep, he gasped slightly at the sight. He knew that Dr Daniels had warned him about the wires, but just the sight of his baby brother lying so still shocked him.

Hurrying over, he cried out softly as he took in his brother's appearance. Alan's usually olive skin was pale and dark circles under his eyes stood out.

_Alan. C'mon baby brother, be okay. I love you Sprout. _


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Oh, my reviewers know how to make my day! Thank you to all who have reviewed and I'm sorry to the unsigned reviewers whom I couldn't reply to, but im just saying thank you now, so as I don't forget! Thank you! Also, a new shout out to my beta reader Criminally Charmed. I really appreciate her doing this for me. Thanks CC, the work has improved with your gracious help. **

**Enjoy!**

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"Oh, Alan."

John sighed as he looked over his baby brother's still form. It killed him to see the teenager so pale and lifeless. While it pained him for **any **of his brothers to be hurt, he had been over-protective of Alan and whenever he was sad or hurt, John couldn't help but be too. Even when Allie had just fallen over or bumped into something, he had always felt a pang of guilt about not being down there with him, stuck on Thunderbird 5.

Running his fingers lightly through his brother's golden blonde hair, John bit his lip to stop his tears from falling. Bending forwards, he brushed Alan's bangs out of the way before placing a light kiss on his forehead. God, he missed his little brother when he was up on his 'bird. And recently, he had begun to feel Alan slipping through his grasp even more. He had used to call him every night, full of energy and bounce, not sitting still for more than a few minutes. John sighed as he remembered his brother's grinning face that he saw so often. But now, he was lucky if Alan called him once a week and it wasn't the same. Yes, he had still been his smiley self, raring with energy. But often there was a look in Alan's eye that John couldn't place. It was almost as if he was tired.

Alan would also tell John about their other brothers and the fact that they didn't trust him. He remembered a time when Alan had come on the vid-phone with eyes red and bloodshot from crying. John immediately demanded to know what was wrong. Ten minutes later Alan had finally admitted to having enough of Scott, Gordon and Virgil's constant picking on him. That was the time when he had accidently blown up the chemistry lab in his school.

Later that night, John had angrily spoken to his brothers, telling him what effect they had had on Alan and they had sobered up quick enough for John to tell them that Ally had called him, crying. It had been Scott who had hurried off to find Alan who had been sitting at his spot on the beach which he favoured. Scott had been heartbroken when he saw his baby brother crying and had apologized profusely.

"I'm so sorry I didn't do more to protect you, kiddo. Please wake up." John hung his head over the side of Alan's bed, feeling dejected when Alan didn't stir. John pressed his forehead against the metal rails of Alan's bed, when he heard the door open. The silence of the room was filled by a loud gasp, accompanied by an exclamation which caused Jeff to swat his eldest round the back of the head.

Turning, John spotted the looks on his brothers' faces turning from slight joy that Alan was going to be okay, to horror at the sight of him on the bed, hooked up to so many machines.

First to move was Virgil, who slowly stepped forward, trying not to trip over his own feet. _Oh my God, what have I done? _Reaching out a shaking hand, he placed it on the side of his brother's face, staring down at the innocence of **his **Alan. As tears hastily made their way out of his eyes, he blinked profusely and stumbled backwards. Turning sharply, he sprinted out of the room, his stomach spinning painfully, as he ran from his own guilty thought.

_What have I done???_

"Virgil!" Jeff yelled, looking in concern at his third son as he nearly fell over in his desperation to get out of the room. Glancing despairingly at John, who had stood up, Jeff inclined his head sharply towards Virgil. "Please go after him, Lord knows what's going on in his head. He thinks it's his fault. Please, John?"

Nodding in reply, John swiftly left the room, unable to look at Alan any longer. As soon as John had slipped out of the door, Gordon finally reacted, as his hand made its way to his mouth, covering it slightly.

"Alan..."

Gordon's voice was only a whisper as he made his way towards his only younger brother. Staring down at his partner-in-crime's lax face, Gordon cried out softly before reaching down to stroke Alan's arm. Sobbing slightly, he felt his dad and Scott move next to him, tears also clouding their eyes.

"Wake up little brother, wake up." He whispered again into Alan's hair, tears gently subsiding. Suddenly, feeling a stir beneath him, Gordon pulled back sharply in shock and looked down at Alan's face.

"Alan? C'mon little bro, you can do it. Open those big baby blues of yours. I know you can't wait to see this beautiful face." He chuckled slightly and watched as his dad and Scott also tried to rouse Alan.

"Mmmm." Three men froze in delight as Alan gave low grumble. Shaking, Gordon reached down and swept Alan's hair off his face again.

"Alan? Just open your eyes for me." Jeff gently chided, looking sorrowfully down at his son, guilt eating away at him for yelling at the last gift Lucy had given him. Seeing his baby like this was just a painful reminder of what had happened to her all. Jeff shuddered as he repressed the memory again and concentrated on the pinched face of his youngest.

Alan grunted again, as his brow creased with effort. Reaching forward to place a hand on his forehead, Jeff blanched when Alan flinched at his touch. Recovering quickly, he placed his hand firmly on Alan's arm.

"C'mon Alan, you can do it. Just open your eyes."

And he did. Alan's eyelids fluttered slightly, before opening all the way. Confusion shining in his eyes, Alan gagged suddenly and raised his hands to try and pull the offending object blocking his airway out of his mouth. Head spinning wildly, Alan could only see his hands. He was unaware that his concerned family were standing around him, trying to calm him.

Suddenly Alan felt a cool hand on his forehead and heard the words were whispered in his ear softly. Slowly ceasing to struggle, his vision became clearer and he saw Gordon, Scott and his dad looking at him, beaming. Realizing it was Gordon's hand on his head, Alan grunted and pointed to the tube in his mouth with a desperate look in his eyes.

Swiftly pressing the button next to Alan's bed, Jeff sighed as his youngest closed his eyes again wearily before looking at Gordon. Seeing the raw pain that was in Alan's eyes, Jeff grimaced as he accepted that he was to blame for putting most of it there. Not only had he failed his son for not seeing his injury, he had also yelled at him for doing his job.

"Alan!" came a voice from behind them, making Jeff jump out of his stupor, "It's so good to see you awake. Hang on; I'll just get that out for you."

Dr Daniels jogged over to Alan's bedside before looking seriously into her patient's eyes. "Now Alan, I'm going to need you to cough on three, okay? One, two, three…"

Spluttering as the plastic tubing was pulled out of his throat, Alan grimaced up at his doctor. Choking nosily, he silently thanked Scott as a cup was placed in front of him with a straw. Gulping the water down greedily, he was slightly annoyed when it was pulled back.

"Gordo?" He was shocked at how raspy his voice sounded. Clearing his throat, he squinted at the doctor. "Wha' happened?" A few seconds of silence passed, before Gordon turned confusedly to Alan.

"I was hoping you could tell us that bro." Frowning, he glanced up at his dad who gave him a shaky nod to continue. "What do you remember?"

Screwing up his eyes, Alan thought back to the last thing he could think of doing. "I remember feeling dizzy. My back… it was so painful. Then it all went black." Looking up hopefully at his dad and brothers, he noticed that Dr Daniel's had moved out of the room while he had been talking. Suddenly, his eyes drooped and he felt tired.

Scott noticed his baby brother's demeanour change and sighed wearily. "Get some sleep Alan, we'll be here when you wake up. We promise, Sprout." Seeing the younger boy's eyes slide shut, he grimaced and turned to Jeff who was gazing at his youngest imploringly.

"John and Virgil are gonna be annoyed at not being here. I'll try and find them and let them know that he's alright." Sighing again, he shuffled out of the room in search of his brothers. Taking a swift left in the direction that John had gone, he slowed his pace, feeling ready to collapse then and there. The sight of his baby brother like that had aged Scott and he winced as the memories of his nightmare assaulted him once again.

_You ever do that to me again little brother and I am so blaming you for my grey hairs. _

_TBC._


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for the delay, but I do have a genuine reason! I tore the ligaments in my thumb, and had to have it bandaged for a week and a bit. I've only just really got used to using it properly again. So yes, please do excuse the lateness. Hopefully I will make up for it with this chapter.**

**Thanks to the reviewers, I appreciate your lovely comments and suggestions. **

**On with the next chapter as I fear I have kept you waiting to long already haha. This one doesn't have a lot of Alan in it, and is mainly focused around John, but there is a reason for that as you shall soon find out if you read. Hehe. **

**Also, warm thanks again to CC who pointed out my stupid mistakes and beta-read this chapter for me again. Thanks you!!**

**Oh, one more thing, realised I haven't done a disclaimer yet, so here is one, just so you don't think I'm some sort of billion heir. Not likely. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. Although technically, Pokémon isn't even actually mentioned, so I can't see why it matters. Oh right, its Thunderbirds. Well, if you can't imagine Scott running around yelling about some giant flying insect with a poisonous stinger attached to its rear, then you have no imagination at all, okay?**

**Alright, enough weirdness. **

**Enjoy!**

-:O:-

"Virge! Virgil, come back here this instant!" Adopting a stern tone, John hurried after his fleeing brother as he tore out of the hospital. When Virgil paused for a fraction of a second, whipping his head back to watch his pursuer, John could see his middle brother was crying. His eyes were bloodshot, tears trailing down his crumpled face. Bracing himself, Virgil turned from John and barely leapt out of the way of an oncoming nurse a heartbeat before they would have collided.

John sighed and hurried after him, fearing the worst about what was going through Virgil's mind. Watching in concern, John closed in, gasping as Virgil tripped.

Sprawling to the floor, Virgil took a deep breath and a thought flashed through his mind. _Had this happened to Alan? Had he failed to notice that too? Why had he missed it when his brother was hurt and helpless?_

Jumping at a sudden touch of a hand on his shoulder, Virgil flinched and looked up at John. Sniffing, he pushed himself off the floor and sat back against the wall behind him. Suddenly feeling ashamed to be caught crying, he wiped his sleeve across his face and drew in another shaky breath, then watched as John squatted down and looked at him with concerned eyes.

"Virgil, what's going on? C'mon Virge, you have to tell me." Sighing, he pulled Virgil into a hug and rubbed his arms comfortingly down his back. Whispering soothing words in his ear, he let Virgil cry into the crook of his neck. Concerned over his brother's emotional breakdown, John continued to hold Virgil close to him until he felt his brother pull away. Staring boldly, he was determined to get the truth out of the Tracy artist. Leaning forwards and touching his forehead with Virgil's, he sighed and repeated the question. "Virge, what's wrong?"

Shaking his head, Virgil hiccupped loudly and his shoulders sagged. "It's all my fault." John had to strain to hear the words that were brokenly whispered by Virgil. "I- I should have seen. I should have known!" Dropping his head, expecting to be shouted at for not doing his job properly, he frowned when he was pulled tightly against John.

"No," John whispered, distraught at his brother's confession. "It's not your fault at all, you hear me?" Sliding down, he knelt on the floor and rearranged himself to push Virgil away from him. Glaring into his eyes, John shook him slightly, eyes stinging. "It's not your fault! Alan is good at hiding things when he wants to. And he had an obligation to tell us he was hurt. What matters is once you knew, you did everything you could for the Sprout and you got him to the hospital as fast as you could."

Looking down at the floor, Virgil sighed. John was probably right. Nodding his head, Virgil dared to look into his brother's eyes, desperately hoping that there was truth there and not the disappointment that he had expected. Smiling at the love that radiated from the crystal blue pools, his heart warmed.

"John, Virgil!"

Turning around at their names being called, they both grinned at Scott who was puffing slightly as he jogged down the hall. Stopping short, he bent over, frowning at the level the two younger men were at.

"Are you ok?" he asked attentively, trying to look stern, but the outcome was gentle. Upon seeing their grins, he put on a mock shocked expression and started squealing. "What?! Is there something on my face?"

Chuckling, the two younger men stood up, John supporting Virgil and they sighed simultaneously.

Beaming, Scott put his arm around John's shoulders. "Allie woke up! Just for a few seconds but he was coherent enough to talk to us."

John froze for a few seconds, a strange look on his face, before suddenly letting out a sigh of relief. Smiling, he ducked under Scott's arm and took off at a run back the way he had just come, leaving a grinning Scott and Virgil. Turing to Virgil, the elder brother put a soft hand on his shoulder and spoke directly to him, looking him seriously in the eye.

"Are you sure you're okay? You don't still think that bull about it being your fault?" Waiting patiently for an answer, Scott was pleased when Virgil nodded and beamed at him. "Alright then, Shorty, let's go see Alan!"

"Shorty! You're the one who was 5"5 when he was seventeen!"

"Was not!"

"Were too!"

-:O:-

"Hey baby brother, how are you?" John smiled down at Alan's lax face as he rested peacefully. Grabbing his baby brother's hand, a memory came to the surface of his mind and he smiled. "You know, I can remember the time when you and Gordo pulled that prank on us. You thought it was hilarious to fake being hurt. It took us half an hour to calm you two down from laughing so hard." Chuckling, he remembered how the rest of his family had been. "Scott went absolutely mental. I don't think I've ever seen him so wound up. Virgil couldn't stop fussing over you, double checking that you definitely weren't going loopy. Dad… well dad went off to his room. I think he was so relieved that you were both fine that it was the only thing that spared you. I was up on my 'bird at the time. I remember getting a vid call from Scott said you'd both gone missing. I was so worried, you can't imagine. Being stuck up there, not knowing if you were okay or not, drove me insane. I couldn't stop thinking the worst. What if you'd fallen over a cliff or drowned in the ocean? There are so many dangers you could have landed in. My mind had filled with all these horrible scenarios and I was praying for mom to keep you safe. Later, when Scott phoned back and told me it was a prank, I had to switch of the link because I had burst into tears of relief."

Sighing, he pushed a stray bang out of Alan's face and pushed a gentle kiss to the cool forehead. "What would I do without my little brothers?" he whispered, drawing back and smiling at his sleeping brother.

"Crash and burn, probably." Jumping, John turned round to see Gordon standing there with a smug look on his face, arms crossed over his chest triumphantly. Walking towards him, Gordon grinned at John's appalled expression.

"Oh and before you say "how much did you hear", I heard all of it, just to let you know, Francis." Laughing at his own warped humour, adding, "Say, do you want a drink? How about a half-caf, double vanilla latte with a little sprinkle of chocolate? Will that suit your liking, sweetheart?"

"Oh shut up Gordo." John sneered at his little brother. Standing up, he walked over to him, channelled his inner-Scott, plastering a furious look on his face. A flitter of worry shot through Gordon he watched his brother get closer. John didn't get angry often, but when he did it was at def-con level. And this situation with Alan had strained all of their nerves…

"Ummm, right. I'll go find Scott. Bye!" Turning sharply, he fled the room. As soon as he was gone, John doubled-up, laughing.

Swivelling round to face Alan, his smile remained as he spoke to his baby brother. "Man, you would have loved that, Al." For a few more minutes, John continued to quietly urge Alan to wake up and talk to him. Hearing a disturbance outside of the room, John gave up for the moment, sighing as he exited the room, leaving his brother lying on the bed sleeping quietly. Stepping out of the room, the door closing behind him, John saw the rest of his family standing around a flustered nurse and another woman, tall and angular, with a stern look on her face.

"Look lady, I don't know who you think you are or why you're here, but I can tell you that you can turn around and go straight back the way you came!" Scott snarled, arms being held by Jeff in an effort to keep his firstborn back. The woman laughed skeptically, turning to face the rest of the family.

"This is what you call a relaxed and safe environment? I don't think so. Now get out of my way. I need to speak to Alan."

"NO!" Scott yelped, pulling his arms free," I'll tell you again, WE ARE NOT ABUSING ALAN! He's my little brother! I would die for him, so don't you DARE come in here and say that he's gonna be taken away from us!"

Hurrying forwards, John's eyes were wide and wild.

"What? What's going on dad? Who is she?" His voice broke as he, for the second time that day, feared the worst.

"She's from Child Protective Services, son. Someone called CPS about Alan." Straining to keep his voice straight, he turned back to the woman who was glaring at them furiously. "I don't know how I'm going to prove this to you, but I can promise… No, I can SWEAR that we all love Alan and would never do anything to hurt him. Ever!" Shaking, Jeff watched as the woman sniffed and threw her chin up in the air.

"Until I have proof, and you cannot justify as to why this boy is in here, then I'm going to have to take action against you." Looking around at each member of the family seriously, she took a step forward.

"Hey! Who the hell do you think you are?" A loud, feminine voice thundered down the corridor angrily, causing her to stop, foot in midair.

"How dare you come into this hospital and disturb these people? Do you have any idea what they've been through?" Dr Daniels had jogged over, a furious gleam in her eyes. "Alan went through a terrifying ordeal and I can assure you that his family had NOTHING to do with it. In fact, I can guarantee you that you won't find a more loving family. Now get the hell out of my hospital and stay away from these people!" The woman from CPS looked to argue, when Dr. Daniels continued. "And in my experience, it is that you have to prove the abuse. Alan was hurt, his family rushed him in here and have refused to leave his side since then. Accidents still do happen. And no, it is not just because this is Jeff Tracy's family I am saying that. It is because it is my patient's family and I have never seen a more loving one. Threatening to take this boy from his family is not in his best interest. So as his doctor, I am telling you to go and go now."

Highly affronted, the CPS officer turned slowly on her high heels and marched off, furious, as she left five stunned family members and a seriously annoyed doctor in her wake.

Staring at Dr Daniels, the Tracy family stood with mouths wide open. She stood there with a sheepish look on her face as she glanced at the men. Suddenly, she was shocked as one of the five moved and wrapped her in a firm hug.

Feeling embarrassed, John pulled back and smiled gratefully at her, an implacable look in his eyes. "Thanks you Dr Daniels, I-"

"It's Sarah, and don't mention it." Her ears grew bright red as she noticed one of the other four men grinning at her and John, who still had his hand on her arm. Coughing, she turned around and walked off as quickly as her dignity would allow, secretly trying to cover up her delight.

As she left, John groaned inwardly. He knew he was going to get hell from Gordon over this. Glancing at Sarah's retreating form again, he smiled. It may just be worth it. Then, thinking of the complication of the situation and his life in general, John once more groaned. _When did I fall for Alan's doctor? __Why did I have to fall for _her_? As if life wasn't complicated enough…_

_TBC._


	6. Chapter 6

**Yes, you're right CC, I really do need to update! Sorry for the wait guys and I'm not gonna bother with excuses, I was simply too lazy! This chapter doesn't have a lot going on, but next chapter hopefully will. **

**Thanks again for CC's beta-ing! And thanks for those who did review, I appreciate it greatly! **

**Anyways, on with the chapter!**

-:O:-

Blinking his eyes furiously, Alan pulled himself from a deep dreamless sleep. As he took a good look at his surroundings, he mentally sighed, registering that he was in hospital. He knew that meant his family had found out about his injuries. Staring at the ceiling, Alan let out a slight noise of frustration at the tubing still in lodged up his nose, trying his hardest not to scream at the itching it was causing him. Pausing, Alan took a deep breath through the plastic tube and the fresh air filling his lungs was enough to make his eyes close with satisfaction at the comforting feeling the oxygen gave him.

Focused on breathing properly - and not inhaling the tube in his quest to get air to his lungs - Alan was oblivious to the door had swinging open and revealing two of his brothers; one blushing deeply as he looked in irritation at his younger brother, while the was laughing uproariously, his arm swung over the his brother's shoulders to pull him closer.

Gordon's eyes lit up when he saw how much better his only little brother was getting on. Watching as Alan close his eyes in apparent to be contentment, he grinned and raced forward, arm dropping from John's neck, leaving his other blonde brother in the dust.

Reaching out to grip the metal bar around Alan's bed, he steadied himself as he lost his balance slightly in his haste. Turning a deep shade of red at tripping over his own feet in his desire to reach Alan, Gordon made a blatant point at ignoring the snort that came loudly from behind him. Not wanting to see the smirk that he was sure would be plastered on John's face, he merely coughed and put his hand on Alan's arm.

"Hey Al, you fancy opening those peepers of yours again? I'm going stir crazy with John here. You know he is the boring Tracy!" Smile set firmly back in place, he watched Alan's eyes opened slowly and swivel to look at him. "That a boy!" he said, sweeping the bangs from Alan's face.

Croaking, unable to make any real conversation, Alan pointed to the oxygen codule with a pleading look in his eyes once more, knowing that Gordon couldn't resist when he pulled out the puppy-eye look that he had perfected so well over the years. Alan knew had been successful when Gordon reached over to the call button next to his bed. Satisfied the situation would soon be resolved he relaxed as Gordon started speaking to him.

"Guess what?" Gordon sniggered, as Alan look on curiously as John glared furiously. "Johnny boy over there has a crush on your doctor! Ha-ha, want to make a bet that she'll ask him out first? I mean, he is a wuss when it comes to anything female." Glancing smugly at John, Gordon watched Alan's reaction and grinned again when his eyes flickered in disbelief to John, whose had suddenly found the floor absolutely fascinating. Hearing a distant mumble that sounded something like "drop dead", Gordon laughed heartily and turned back to Alan, his eyes twinkling.

Smiling, Alan watched in amusement as his elder, hard to embarrass, always in control brother begin to look like he had a bad case of sunburn from the bright red blush creeping up his face. Alan startled as the door opened once more. An attractive woman walked in, her hair pinned up casually in a loose bun. She looked close to John's age but walked with a bounce in her step that he hadn't seen in his serious brother in years.

"Alan! Nice to finally see you awake. Well, awake again, I-" The woman suddenly halted in the middle of her sentence, as she caught John's eye. John in turn had immediately blushed once more, embarrassed when he realized he had been staring at her since she came in. Alan grinned to himself, quickly realizing this must be the doctor who John fancied. "-I'm glad to meet you in person. Let me get that thing out and I'll be out of your way again." Gesturing to the tube coming out of his nose, Sarah walked past John and hastened to the bed.

Moving out of the way, Gordon barely hid his laughter as John seemed to find the back of Sarah's head fascinating.

"Okay, I need you to breath out sharply when I say, alright Alan?" Nodding his head, Alan waited for his cue, and then let out a snort of breath. Feeling slightly giddy as the two thin tubes slid out of his nose, he sighed when they were completely removed. Enjoying the freedom he was given, Alan looked up gratefully at Dr. Daniels and murmured his thanks, painfully realizing that his throat was once again dry and sore.

Recognizing what the teen's problem was, Dr Daniels reached over and poured a glass of water. Smiling gently, she watched as Alan gulped a few times.

"Alright, now that you can breathe again, I'll let you be." Turning, she made to walk out of the room but was brought up short when she came face-to-face with John. Glancing up at him, she momentarily lost herself in his deep blue eyes. Shaking herself, she scurried out of the door, not wanting to be caught staring into his eyes dreamily.

_Sarah, get a grip. That's Jeff Tracy's son! A noted astronomer and author in his own right. There is no way would he ever go for you!_

-:O:-

"Scott! Get in here, grandpa!"

Looking up at his name being called, Scott scowled at Gordon at the use of the term 'grandpa' and stood up, glaring daggers at his little brother. Upon his squeak of terror and his flitting back into the room, Scott grinned at his wordless win over Gordon.

_Scott 1 – Gordon 0!_

Chuckling to himself, he wandered into Alan's room, smiling brightly at his baby brother, who was now sitting up in bed. Pushing his way past his two of younger brothers; Scott made it over to Alan, leaving both men in his wake, indignation written clearly on their faces.

"Hey Sprout, how are you feeling?"

Sighing, Alan replied, "I'm alright, and it's not Sprout!"

Laughing, Scott placed his hand on top of Alan's hair and let it rest there for a minute. Sobering, he knew he had to get this out of the way.

"Alan, why didn't you tell us you were hurt? You know better than that. Do you _know_ what was going through my mind when I saw you lying there like that?" Taking a deep breath, Scott steadied himself as the images flickered into his mind once more. "You…You really scared me. You scared all of us."

Alan hung his head, shoulders drooping heavily. He knew this was coming. In a lame attempt to cover up his real reason, he said the first thing that came to mind.

"I… I don't know, Scotty." Wincing at his own words, knowing he was not the only one doing so, his heart sped up as Scott lifted his head with a finger under his chin.

Looking into his baby brother's eyes, scrutinizing, Scott attempted to understand.

"I know that you do know, Allie. You don't have to tell me now, but we're gonna talk about this again, alright?" Satisfied with the weak nod he received Scott smiled and patted Alan on the shoulder softly. "Okay! Now, Johnny, looks like you've got yourself a crush there!" Scott joked as he turned to his other blonde brother, his brown eyes bright with humour. As the usually level headed John glared at Scott before muttering something about going to the toilet. John slipped out of the room – totally ignoring the attached bathroom in his haste to escape the howls of laughter coming from his gathered family members.

Bumping into his middle brother on the way John muttered the same thing he had to Scott, Gordon and Alan to a bemused Virgil. Watching John's retreating form head towards the bathrooms he had just left, Virgil shook his head and walked in to Alan's room. Growing more confused when he saw his brothers rolling around, tears in their eyes, he shook his head once again and decided not to ask. Just the sound of his baby brother's laughter was enough to satisfy Virgil and he stepped closer, beginning to finally relax.

-:O:-

"What do you mean; you don't know who called them? You must have some clue!" Jeff swore angrily in his head, glaring at a receptionist who looked quite terrified. He had spent the last half an hour trying to work out who had called CPS on Alan. So far, he had come away with nothing. Sighing heavily, the Tracy patriarch looked around, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Isn't there anyone here that can tell me something about this?" Raising his voice, Jeff was shooting daggers at anyone who dared to be passing him.

"I'm sorry sir, but there honestly isn't any record of someone calling Child Protection Services and if I know everyone around here as well as I do, then I know that they wouldn't anyway! It is hospital protocol – a CPS call both comes from the treating physician or at their request and must be logged. " Trembling slightly at the towering form of Jeff Tracy, the receptionist tried weakly to defend herself and her team, but deflated when his piercing gaze turned back on her.

"Mr. Tracy, I think I may have an idea what happened."

Turning sharply, Jeff was met with the bold eyes of Sarah Daniels, Alan's doctor. Nodding his head, he motioned for her to go on.

"Well first, I might point out that you _are _Jeff Tracy, former astronaut and owner of Tracy Enterprise. It was almost too obvious that this would leak out somehow and reporters love to chew anything they can find. They're like animals and I'm guessing one thought it would make a good story if Jeff Tracy was abusing his sons. And second, I give you full confidence that it was not one of my staff. I know them. They would never go behind my back."

A few moments of silence settled over the two and suddenly Sarah became nervous. She had just delivered a full-blown speech to Jeff Tracy and he stood there, looking at her in an odd way.

Nodding, Jeff let the information sink in. Looking back up at Alan's doctor, he smiled.

_I can see why John likes her. _

"Thank you doctor," he said finally, extending out a hand. Upon seeing the look on the young woman's face, he smiled. Jeff was aware that he could be a little intimidating, a fact that he sometimes used to his advantage – and forgot about at other times.

Shaking herself for the umpteenth time that day, Sarah reached out her arm and shook Jeff's hand firmly.

"No problem Mr. Tracy. Anyway," she said, attempting to brush the handshake off as what she did every day, "I'm just glad to see Alan awake and feeling better."

Excusing herself, she walked off, her head held high, feeling on top of the world, a pair of bright blue eyes and a soft smile filling her mind and bringing a song to her heart.

_John Tracy… _

She smiled, thinking that, after all, _a girl can dream, can't she?_

_TBC_


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the reviews. They were greatly appreciated! Okay, I've decided to get up a chapter early, seeing as there was such a big delay with the previous. AND, this is one of my longest yet, so enjoy! **

**Thanks to CC, who beta-read again for me! **

-:O:-

"Allie, you wouldn't believe the look on John's face when Sarah walked off! I mean, it was like someone had kicked his puppy." Grinning, Gordon paused thoughtfully before saying, "Three times!" Snorting, he relaxed as Alan laughed louder before he gave Gordon a sceptical look, unable to believe that John would behave like that.

Upon seeing his baby brother's look, Scott chimed in, "Honestly Al, I think he was more devastated than when Gordo here sat on his modal space station that he had spent a month working on!" Beaming at Alan's widened eyes, Scott placed a hand on Virgil's shoulder. "Even Virgil couldn't stop himself from laughing at him, and you know how much of a misery he can be!"

Ducking from the hand that was swiped at the back of his head, Scott chuckled once more, enjoying the company of his brothers - especially when he was getting the upper hand on them.

_Scott 2 – Little brothers 0! _

"Gee Scott, that's rich, coming from Mr Smother Hen!" Screwing his face up in as much sarcasm as he could muster, Virgil sneered in mock anger. Suddenly, he jumped as hands from behind him clutched at his stomach and started tickling him. Screeching, Virgil pulled himself away from Gordon's grip, lurching out of the way and stood panting and glaring at him. A few moments passed.

"It is _so _on!"

Diving forward, Virgil began a merciless onslaught on his brother.

Scott, who had stood watching them with mild interest, turned his gaze to Alan. Warmth spread through his heart at the sight of his baby brother, who was giggling at the antics of Virgil and Gordon. Gordon had been pinned underneath his brother and looked up with sheer terror on his features. Oblivious to Gordon's cries of help, Scott couldn't help but take in every tiny detail he could about Alan. The images of him lying so still, swamped in his own blood continued to linger in the back of Scott's mind and he gave a small shudder. Quickly he forced himself back into the present, reminding himself that Alan was fine; laughing and happy right in front of his eyes. But somehow, the feeling of unease still crept over him as he stared into Alan's deep, expressive blue eyes.

Tearing his gaze away from his two fighting brothers, Alan caught Scott's stare and a silent, mutual understanding came between the two. Holding Scott's look, Alan smiled warmly, attempting to give him the reassurance he needed.

Suddenly, a particularly loud yelp from his partner-in-crime brought Alan swivelling back to face Virgil and Gordon who were still scrapping on the floor. Following Alan's gaze, Scott started as he saw Virgil holding Gordon in a headlock, fist rubbing backwards and forwards briskly over the copper-haired head. Laughing, he leapt forwards, attempting to break Virgil's hold on Gordon.

"Hey! Just because this is a hospital, it does _not _give you the right to injure Gordon, no matter how tempting it may be!" Dragging Virgil up, Scott pulled out his mega-watt grin. "Nice work though, bro! I'm so sorry I didn't have a camera to take a picture of him!"

From his position on the floor, Gordon grunted and pulled a face. This would call for some serious revenge. Placing a hand on the floor moodily, he shot Alan a glance. Glad to see the twinkle in his baby brother's eyes, he knew that Alan understood what his expression meant. Smirking, Gordon sent him a wink. The Tricksters of Tracy Island had some plotting to do.

For the next few minutes, the Tracys stood around Alan's bed, plotting how they could get the shy John to talk to – apparently – equally shy Sarah. It had been a light conversation to start, but by the time Jeff walked in on his sons, John in tow, the four had tears rolling down their faces once again with Scott clutching a stitch in his side from laughing so hard.

Dreading to shatter their bonding, Jeff flinched as they turned round to face him. Seeing Gordon double up at the sight of John, he waited a moment for them to calm down.

"Hey dad, what's up?" Scott asked, frowning, all humour fading at the serious look in his father's eyes.

Jeff sighed heavily, looking carefully at his elder sons, a debate raging in his mind.

"Brains called. There's a forest fire in Indonesia, and it's spreading rapidly. Local fire teams are having serious trouble and International Rescue have been asked for assistance. I'm afraid we're going to have to help out this time, son." Watching as each of his sons' shoulders slumped; he fixed his gaze on Virgil. "Virge, I'm gonna ask you to stay here, if that's okay. I don't want Allie to be on his own."

Protests burst forth out of every son in turn – but it was Alan's that they all heard the clearest.

"Dad, it's alright. Virge can go too. I don't want to be the cause of something bad happening without all the help these people can get. I'll be fine, honest." Swallowing heavily at the lumped that had formed in his throat, Alan winced. He really didn't want to be left alone in a hospital, but he couldn't bear it if something happened that Virgil could have helped with. Unable to look at his father, Alan could still remember what had happened between the two of them earlier. He didn't want to be a disappointment again in his family's eyes. His father's angry words were still an echo of regret in Alan's soul.

Jeff looked uncertainly at his youngest. He desperately didn't want to leave his baby here all alone, but from what it sounded like from Brains, those people needed all the help they could get.

"Only if you're sure Alan," he said, ignoring Scott's look of outrage, "I don't want you to feel deserted or anything."

"I'm sure." Frowning, Jeff nodded. Something wasn't quite right about Alan, but he decided not pursue it. People were in danger. Making a mental note, he reminded himself that Alan and he needed a serious sit-down when they got back.

"Okay," he said, turning to his other sons. Lowering his voice, he added, "Let's head out. We need to get there as quickly as possible. Scott, I want you to go with Gordon on One. John can prep the Firefly while Virgil will be with me on Two." Sparing a glance at Alan as his other sons piled out of the doorway, taking off at a sprint, he smiled weakly. "We'll be back soon, Alan, I promise." With that, he turned and followed his elder sons, barely missing Dr Daniels on his way down the corridor.

"We have to go," he yelped, "We'll be back soon. Please look after him!" At her shocked nod, he turned and headed to the exit.

-:O:-

_A few minutes earlier…_

Walking calmly down the corridor, Sarah thought about her conversation with Jeff Tracy. Pleased with how it had turned out, she couldn't but let a smile grow at the thought of his other son, John. She knew it was a long shot, but Sarah had decided she was going to talk to him anyway. _Nothing ventured, nothing gained…_

So caught up in her daydreaming, that as Sarah made the right down the corridor that led to Alan's room she was nearly knocked over by the very person she had just been thinking about. Yelping, Sarah slid sharply to the left and pressed herself against the wall as John made a beeline past her. Three of his three brothers –minus Alan, of course – were with him. Grinning sheepishly at her, he winked and hurried on, now sprinting with a slight spring in his step. Gawking after John, she marvelled at how effortlessly he ran.

"Whoa!" Steeping out of the way for a second time, Jeff Tracy followed his sons, saying something about leaving and asking her to look after Alan. Breaking herself out of her thoughts of John's muscles and tanned complexion, 's words registered and she nodded weakly, a confused smile on her face. He grinned at her and turned down the way she had just come, towards the exit of the hospital.

Standing baffled for a while longer, she forced herself to focus and quickly made her way to her patient's room. Entering, she saw Alan sitting up, a depressed look on his face. Startling as his doctor walked in, he hastily swiped the back of his hand over his face. Knowing he wasn't quick enough as a sympathetic look crossed Sarah's features, he groaned inwardly.

_Great. Just what I need. My doctor will think I'm a wussy little cry baby. Fantastic. _

But when he looked back up, the sympathetic look was gone. Instead, she walked over towards him, a twinkle in her eyes and a soft smile on her face.

"Don't worry Alan; you would have grown tired of them eventually. I should know! I have three older sisters and one older brother. I can definitely say that they got overwhelming sometimes, no matter how much they cared." Grinning at the look of shock that came over the young man's features, she passed him the cup of water that was on his bed-side table.

"Here, drink this. You need to keep fluids in your body, and not just the ones we feed through the IV." Watching him as he took small sips, she couldn't help admire how similar Alan looked to the older man that had caught her eye. She knew that they were brothers – heck, John had four brothers – but only Alan had the same bright blue eyes. Blushing as she realised that she must have been staring into his eyes for too long, she busied herself, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"So…Alan, you want to tell me how you really hurt yourself? I mean, no one in your family seemed to know either." The thought had struck her when… Scott, if she remembered correctly, had told her that Alan had brushed off the subject of how it happened. Although, she suspected that she wasn't being told the full truth by that Tracy either. Sarah was certain that Alan wasn't being abused. She had seen abuse victims enough, and the doctor knew that wasn't it but she had to admit to being stumped as to the source of her patient's injuries.

"Uhh..." Alan gulped, his brain struggling to come up with a plausible reason. Freezing, he panicked, since he obviously couldn't tell her _exactly _how it had happened. He wasn't about to blurt to someone he hardly knew that he was a Thunderbird. "Umm, well, I, uh, fell down some stairs, and…yeah!" Stuttering, he sighed at his own pathetic excuse. Not even _he _believed that.

Frowning, Sarah raised an eyebrow. Studying the teenager before her, something she had heard about in the news stirred in her memory. However, that thought was promptly squashed. _There's no way that he could be… No, oh course not. The thought of the Tracy's doing that is silly. Or… maybe…Nah._

Thinking for a few minutes longer, she jumped when she remembered she had an audience. Turning round to face Alan again, a blush rising on her face, she noticed his questioning gaze.

"Are you sure, Alan? You can tell me anything. Don't forget that. I'm one of the people you can trust." Seeing Alan's tight mouth and clear reluctance to discuss, well, _anything, _she sighed. "Just… know that I'll be here for you if you want to talk, okay?" Not wanting to seem too pushy, she left it at that, not daring to try and get more out of Alan.

Giving the pretty brunette an appreciative grin, Alan hesitated. Would it really be too bad if she knew? _Maybe if she and John got together…Be nice to have a doctor in the family…_"Thanks Sarah… I really do appreciate everything you've done. I know my brother John does too." Laughing as Sarah turned bright red, he shook his head in a typical teenage fashion. "Ya know, I think he likes you!"

Spluttering, Sarah was lost for words. John Tracy liked _her?_

_OhMyGod. I think I've died and gone to Heaven! _

Staring at Alan, mouth open, she silently begged him to not be kidding. Even though she had only just met John Tracy, and only spoken to him a few times, she felt like she had known him forever. Seeing the look in Alan's eyes shift from teasing to serious, she almost fainted at the lack of oxygen reaching her lungs. Excusing herself, Sarah sprinted for the room in dire need of a coffee – and the chance to think on what she had learned.

-:O:-

_At the rescue…_

"John! Grab Virgil, he's cutting it too fine over there!" Scott looked on in panic as Virgil stepped closer to a house that was ablaze. They had managed to put out the majority of most of the fires that were slowly edging towards a major city in Indonesia. However, a small village had been trapped in the middle of the flames and by the time they got through the charred remains of the surrounded trees, most of the village had caught up in the inferno.

Jeff had taken over the Firefly, heading towards another part of the blaze that was still heading towards the city, leaving Scott, John and Virgil down at the village, trying to get people out of their homes as the fire closed around them. Rescue workers were all around them, tackling the flames the best they could with the equipment they had.

John, who could barely hear his brother's cry over the roaring inferno, spun round from helping an elderly couple out of their house. Spying his brother who held an arm up over his face as he moved forwards, John took off at a run, Scott following closely.

Hearing his brothers' cries, Virgil looked at to see them running towards him. Desperate, he looked back at the flames burning ever higher, coughing as he tried to speak.

"There's five people trapped up there! They're on the fourth floor, so it's impossible for them to jump. We have to get in there!" Without waiting for a response, Virgil rushed inside, ducking low. Eyes widening in fear at the flames that swamped his pathway, he swallowed, focusing on the victims trapped above him. Bracing himself, Virgil grit his teeth and surged towards the stairs.

"Virgil!" Sparing a glance back, he saw John rush inside with him. Nodding, they both cautiously made their way through the smoke and flames that were crowding them. John could feel the heat of the fire through his uniform and on his exposed skin, the intense heat making small beads of sweat roll down his forehead under his visor.

Knowing that things could easily get ugly, Virgil increased his speed, sensing his brother staying close behind him. _Smother Hen Junior, _he snorted in his head.

Keeping their arms firmly covering their noses, the brothers hurried up the stairs. Reaching the fourth floor, Virgil paused, looking left and right. Shouting over the flames, he pointed to a room and they hastily ran over.

Motioning his younger brother back, John raised a leg and planted it firmly through the wooden door that was slightly alight, flames burning across the top of the wood. Swinging open sharply, the door crashed back onto the wall and John and Virgil ran in. Searching around, they found a couple with their children huddled beside them in the only part of the room that wasn't crawling with fire. The youngest child looked around three years old and was shrieking into his father's chest. All five people looked up as John and Virgil knelt down, John yelling for them to come quickly in their native language.

Nodding reassuringly, Virgil helped the woman up and picked up one of the children. The mother grabbed a second and John aided the father with his youngest. Pouring out of the burning room, the group began to descend the stairs, pausing only to leap out of the way of burning debris that fell in their path, nearly crushing them. Bursting through the last of the inferno that had once been home to several families, the light of the haze filled air was a breath of relatively fresh air and they were hurrying out of the front door to an anxious Scott. Unloading a child from his arms to his older brother's, John coughed, trying to rid himself of the smoke he had inhaled. A tingling feeling crept into the back of his mind as he continued to cough. Suddenly, his breath caught in his throat, as blackness edged at his vision. Panicking, John realised he couldn't breathe and felt hands grab his arms. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he faintly heard someone yelling his name before he closed his eyes and slumped to the floor, unconscious.

_TBC_


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you everyone for the fantastic reviews I received! They really, REALLY made my week after a spectacularly bad weekend. A special thanks to Little Miss Bump for pointing out a rather big whoopsie in my last chapter. Hopefully this will suffice as a reason why I did it!**

**Thanks again to CC for her beta-ing. As always it was fab! And also Little Miss Bump (again) who beta'd it too! They both helped me a lot, and since LMB hasn't been feeling very well – and also because I cant get any chocolate to her (not that she could eat it!) – this chapter is dedicated to her! Thanks you two ;)**

**Thank you again for sticking with me through this, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

-:O:-

Jeff rubbed a hand over his face, his shoulders slumping in exhaustion. He watched his older blonde son, John's spiky hair resting on the pillow. Now occupying a bed in the same hospital as Jeff's youngest son, the Tracy father had feared the worst when he saw his second born motionless in Scott's arms. Not believing that another one of his sons could be hurt in the same day, his fear had only grown when they'd had trouble awakening him. Jeff couldn't remember a time that he had felt more powerless, except perhaps when Lucy had died. The feeling of helplessness that he hadn't experienced in years consumed him at the moment. Squeezing his eyes closed, unable to watch John's peacefully sleeping form any longer, Jeff recalled the moment that he had seen John collapse.

_Flashback._

"_John! Oh my God!" Dropping to his knees next to his son, Jeff looked up frantically at Scott and Virgil_,_ who had shifted away slightly, giving him room to hold John. The looks on their faces were masks of terror._

"_John. Can you hear me son?" Jeff tried to keep his voice free of the horror he was feeling, but he couldn't help the slight tremor that went through him as he stared down at his unresponsive son. "Please, God, I can't handle this again…" Jeff mumbled as he held John close._

_Patting his middle son's face gently, Jeff was shocked when John suddenly jerked forwards in his arms. Gripping John's back tightly, arms wrapped around his chest,_ _Jeff waited with baited breath as his son coughed violently. _

_Virgil had jumped when his brother started coughing and it had pulled him out of his stupor. When he had seen his brother fall limp in Scott's arms, Virgil had felt the same sense of guilt that had occurred with Alan creep into his chest, and everything seemed to fade_ _around him. All of the sounds - the shouts of worry, the crackle of the fire that still burned around them - just faded out. Virgil saw his father run up to John and Scott, but it was as though _he_ was looking on and not participating._

_Another of his brothers had been hurt trying to protect people. But instead of Alan trying to protect people he didn't know, Virgil was aware that John had only come along to keep him safe. _

_But the sight of his brother choking suddenly brought him out of his daze_ _and forced him back into the situation. He dived down towards the floor, lunging out for John, who was still struggling to clear his throat. Virgil could tell from his medical experience_ _that John was suffering from smoke inhalation and that could spell trouble. If he didn't get seen to quick, and get the necessary treatment, a build- up could occur__,__ leading to irreversible lung damage. _

"_Dad, we have to get him to the hospital. He needs to get checked out." Unable to keep his panic locked in any longer, Virgil saw their father's eyes widen slightly as he nodded. John's coughing had stopped, but his breathing had become laboured and shallow. _

"_Okay." Taking a deep intake of air to steady himself, Jeff spoke to John, trying to help him breath__e.__ "John, we need to get you to the hospital." Looking up at Scott, he fixed his eldest son with a stare. "Scott, I'm trusting you to get him there safely. I need to speak to the people here. You have to take Thunderbird One and get back to the hospital. Don't be seen in it_(,)_ though. You know the drill. I'll be there as quickly as I can." Suddenly, a thought struck him, and amidst his worry, a spark of anger flared. "Then we're going to have a serious talk about why the hell you weren't wearing your oxygen helmets." _

_End of flashback. _

Scrubbing his face once more, Jeff felt sure that within the last twenty four hours, he had aged at least ten years. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he stood up and bent over John's bed. Placing a gentle kiss to his temple, Jeff swiped a hand over John's hair, making a mental note to suggest that he get it cut.

The Tracy father then sighed at the thought of his other sons. Gordon had taken it particularly hard and had instantly rushed to see his brother when he had heard. Virgil had entered swiftly after that and the three had stood at his bed for a while. Then the two younger Tracys had gone to see Alan, knowing full well that Alan would want to know about what had happened.

As he heard the door open behind him, Jeff turned his head to see Scott appear. Narrowing his eyes, Jeff _released his gentle grip on John's cheek_ and stepped closer to his eldest.

"You and I need to talk, son."

Manoeuvring himself past his first born, who had a look of guilt on his face, the Thunderbird Commander walked out of the room with his shoulders slumped.

Once out in the hall, Jeff swivelled on his heels and gave Scott an _'__Im-waiting-for-you-to-give-me-a-decent-answer-or-you'll-regret-it__'_look on his face.

Squirming under his father's gaze, Scott sighed. He knew he had to tell _him _what _had _ really happened. _I hope you don't hate me, dad, 'cause_ _I sure I hate myself at the minute. _

"I'm sorry, dad." Closing his eyes, he continued wearily, "It's all my fault. We thought we had the last people out, so we took ourhelmets off. It was only supposed to be for a second. We were making sure everyone was alright, but then fire fighters were telling us about a few houses with people still in _them._ We were in such a rush that I completely forgot about the helmets." Seconds passed and neither men spoke. His eyes opening, he glanced hesitantly at his father's expressionless face and took it as a bad sign. Biting his lip, he grew angry at himself. "God, I'm so stupid!"

Regarding his son fiercely, Jeff put a hand on Scott's shoulder, desperately not wanting any of his sons to feel that they were ever not good enough; especially his eldest. "No. You're not stupid. But you're damn reckless, just like Alan. He's in here because he disobeyed orders, and so is John! Did you _even _stop to think that there would be consequences for your actions?"

Scott's face crumpled. "I'm so sorry, dad. I… I don't know what I was thinking."

And then Scott did something that he had only done once in years before today, and that time was earlier with Alan. A tear rolled out of his eye and his face straightened out. Turning his gaze to the floor, he couldn't hold his father's look any longer.

"Oh, Scott." Drawing his son into a hug, Jeffgripped Scott tightly, giving him much needed comfort. "Son, John will be fine. Sarah said that as we brought him in so quickly, there'll be no lasting damage. Just be more careful in the future. Alright?"

Nodding against his dad's back, Scott sniffed loudly, taking in a deep breath. The stayed holding each other for a few moments longer, both knowing that the hug was more for comfort then anything else. Scot couldn't remember the last time that he and his father had hugged.

Suddenly, a light, feminine cough behind them signalled them that another presence had arrived. Drawing apart swiftly, Scott cleared his throat awkwardly and turned round to see Sarah Daniels standing behind them. She was smiling gently at the two Tracys, a small twinkle in her eye.

"Well," she said, eyebrows raised. "I didn't think I would be treating two of the Tracys today. Let alone ever, in fact. Care to explain?" Upon seeing the same look that had crept onto Alan's face earlier when she had asked him how he had required his injuries, she nodded understandingly. "Perhaps I should check up on the latest Tracy down?"

When she received nods of encouragement from the two speechless men in front of her, Sarah walked into John's room, a smirk gracing her features. Biting her lip, she smiled at the man that was now looking at her with bleary eyes, clearly having only just woken up.

"Hey, sleepy. How are we feeling?"

John coughed, trying to cover his embarrassment at being in the hospital, this time _him _being the one needing the looking after.

"Good, umm, yeah." Throat feeling unnaturally dry, he winced at the slight tearing sensation he felt when trying to talk. At the medic's questioning look, John quickly nodded thankfully when Sarah asked him if he wanted some water.

Taking the plastic cups that was handed to him, he took tentative sips. Eyes wondering to the brunette next of him, he felt his cheeks flush slightly. She had moved right next to his bed, and her hand rested on the bars on the side, only inches away from his own.

"Umm, what happened? I mean, I know what happened, but the last thing I can remember was being brought in here by Scotty. Then everything went dark." Eyes fixed on the woman before him; he admired her silently for being able to put up with Scott's Mother-Henning.

Sarah smiled. "You were having trouble breathing and you passed out just as you got here. It was lucky I was standing at the entrance and could get you up here in time. We managed to get some fluids in you through the IV. Luckily, even though you had passed out, the smoke inhalation wasn't bad enough for it to need any suction, or an endotracheal tube. It was just that your airways had been dried so much from the choking, that you were unable to…"

Trailing off, Sarah watched the person in front of her. He had sat up, wincing when his chest pulled slightly. His gaze had never left her face and a silence settled over them.

When she had begun speaking, John became lost in her words. Her voice had a soothing quality to it and he had been unable to concentrate properly. Suddenly, he lost control of himself and found himself sitting up.

Opening her mouth to speak, but finding that no words came, Sarah took in the sight before her and felt her head growing light. She felt herself moving forwards towards the man that she had liked from the first second she had seen him.

Suddenly, the door to the room was opening noisily and Gordon and Virgil walked in laughing quietly. All four occupants froze for a few seconds, a laboured silence grinding the weak thoughts in her head to a stop. Flushing brightly, Sarah coughed loudly and turned on her heels, well aware that she had been caught in an embarrassing position with _John Tracy. _Feeling as though her cheeks were on fire, she rushed passed the two other Tracys and sprinted down the hall, mind cursing herself, feeling mortified.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! You so did not just nearly kiss him!_

Back in John's room, the Tracy in the bed groaned and collapsed, fearing what was about to come. He had been so close to kissing the only girl that he had ever liked, before two of his brothers walked in. He knew he was never, ever going to live it down, so he had decided accepted his fate as the look on Gordon's face went from shock, slowly transforming into an evil grin.

-:O:-

A little before that, in Alan's room, the youngest Tracy grew anxious as his family had been gone for over three hours. Sighing, Alan cursed himself for ending up in ahospital. He hated them with a burning vengeance. Looking around the room, afrown marring his usually soft features, he mildly wondered how Tin-Tin was.

"Hey Alan!" Upon hearing a familiar voice, he turned round and grinned at the sight of Virgil and Gordon, who stood over near the door. Mind instantly put to rest about his brothers' welfares, he beckoned them closer with a nod of his head.

"Hey!" hesaid in a relieved whisper, throat still stinging when he spoke too much. "How did it go?"

An uncomfortable silence suddenly settled over them as Gordon glanced at Virgil. Clearing his throat, Gordon stepped forwards.

"Well, you'll be glad to know that everyone in Indonesia got out fine. No more than slight burns were acquired. However… you're not alone in here any more. John's room is just down the hall…"

Mouth dropping open, Alan was stunned. Panic made its way to the surface of his mind and he swallowed. "What happened? Is he alright? Where are Scott and dad?"

Smirking at him, Gordon placed a reassuring hand on Alan's arm. He had known thathis only younger brother would be instantly asking questions. Out of all of the Tracy brothers, John was the one that Alan shared a special bond with. Even though he and Alan were the partners-in-crime, and Scott and Virgil had an uncontrollable sense of protection over them, John always had the ability to get Alan to open up to him. Whenever Alan had been upset when he was little after a bad dream, John had been the one that was sitting up late in the night until they both fell asleep on the youngest son's bed.

"Don't worry, he's alright. He just inhaled too much smoke reaching some people, and was struggling breathing." Seeing the alarm that grew on Alan's face, Gordon knew had phrased his sentence wrong. "No, he's fine, really. The doc said that he's gonna be fine. He's just sleeping it off down the hall. Mother-hen heckled her until Sarah told him that John was gonna be perfectly fine." Grinning at the sense of calm that washed over Alan's features, he turned to Virgil who stood smiling at Gordon's use of words.

"Speaking of which…" Gordon's beam increased as Scott walked through the door, scowling at him.

"Shut up, fish face."

"Alright grandpa, keep your teeth in!" Smirking, Gordon skirted round the other side of Alan's bed quickly, keeping away from his oldest brother.

Taking a deep breath, Scott turned to Virgil. "Scratch what I said earlier. It's a hospital, right? Might as well finish that attack from earlier."

The aquanaut squeaked and fled out of the room, yelping about going to see John. Virgil laughed heartily and followed suit, saying that he was keeping Gordon from tripping over his own over-sized feet in his hasty retreat, leaving Alan alone with Scott.

Turning to look his baby brother in the eyes, Scott walked forwards.

"Now. How about you and I have a chat about what really went down earlier, shall we?"

_TBC_


	9. Chapter 9

**Well hey :) Missed me? **

**Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thanks for the reviews (as always). Great big thanks to LMB and CC for their beta-ing. Great work! Ta. **

**Also, just to say thanks to Sam1 who pointed a big whoopsie in the last chapter! **

**Oh, and just a quick note to Little Miss Bump. Don't forget hun, if you ever need a break from maths revision (*yawns*), drop me a pm. Hell knows I could do with something interesting to do! **

**Thanks again everyone! Oh, and please excuse the horrible shortness of this chapter... I really dont have an excuse, so I'll just let you be angry at me :)**

-:O:-

Staring down at Alan's dejected face, Scott couldn't help the weary sigh that escaped him. Praying that Alan wouldn't try to weasel his way out of an explanation, the oldest Tracy brother stepped closer and placed a hesitant hand on Alan's arm. Taking a deep breath as he waited for the mop of blond hair to rise and reveal the still-boyish face of his youngest sibling, Scott silently begged Alan to not shy away from him.

As Alan lifted his head, Scott couldn't help the feeling of desperation that passed over him as he took in the resigned look in Alan's usually exuberant baby blue eyes. Hearing a long sigh released from the younger Tracy, Scott waited with baited breath to hear what Alan had to say.

Coughing to clear his throat, Alan's cheeks lost their colour as he stared into his oldest brother's serious face. Swallowing nervously past the knot that had formed in his chest, Alan bit his lip, knowing that what he was about to say would not be taken lightly.

"Scotty, do you remember when I was ten and I fractured my arm after falling out of that tree?" Alan paused to let Scott remember, dragging out the tension in the air unintentionally. "I managed to keep that from everyone for two days before Virgil noticed that I wasn't using my right hand when I was eating. I told you that I didn't tell you guys about it because I thought that Dad would be mad when he found out that that I had climbed the tree after he had forbidden me to."

The sheepish look that had crept over Alan's face when he had begun talking suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a heavy frown. "I lied. It was because I thought you would all be disappointed in me. You guys are all so strong. You never admit to weakness, and I wanted to prove to you that I could be like you." Alan broke off to snort humourlessly, before continuing in a bitter tone "Guess I failed at that, too."

As Scott listened to his baby brother admit what he had been feeling, a look of horror began to dawn on his face. He felt stabs of pain in his eyes, and angry, hot tears welled up in the corners. White lips pressed together in a tight line, as he shook his head sadly at Alan. Tears of bitterness now rolled down Alan's face and his head dropped to his chest.

Unable to stand the hanging silence any more, Scott treaded forwards and cradled Alan in his arms. Launching himself onto the bed next to his brother, Scott cradled the shaking form and he squeezed his eyes shut. A heavy weight had suddenly settled on his chest and, finding it hard to breathe, he began to rock Alan slowly, wet trails being left on his face by the tears that Scott had allowed to fall unchecked. Feeling arms snake around his waist, Scott merely held onto his brother, his cheek pressed tightly against his Alan's unruly mop of golden locks. Biting his lip to stop it quivering, Scott rubbed his hands up and down Alan's back in a soothing manner, being extremely careful to avoid the thick gauze that covered a whole side, from shoulder to hip.

"Alan…" Scott whispered, sniffing loudly. "I am so, so sorry…I…" Moving a hand up to the back of Alan's head, he felt a wave of guilt crash over him and the words died pathetically in his throat. Taking a minute to calm himself, Scott lifted an arm away from Alan to swipe over his eyes, brushing away the tears from his own face before dealing with his baby brother's. Pushing Alan away, his throat tightened at the look on his brother's face. Closing his eyes briefly, however, Scott set his mind firmly and used a shaking finger to lift Alan's chin so they were looking into one another's eyes. Shining orbs looked at him sadly, slowly turning bloodshot as sobs still racked Alan's frame.

"Alan, I will always," Pausing, he forced the next word out, tightening his grips on Alan's shoulders, "always love you, and I don't think I could ever be prouder of you." Another tear forced its way out of his eye stubbornly as Alan opened his eyes in disbelief. "You don't know how much I love you, little brother. I don't want to ever hear you doing something so God damned stupid! The guys and I love you exactly the way you are, Allie. Please, please don't do this to us. You're special to me, and I don't think I could handle it if you ever left us because you felt you needed to prove anything to us. Please Alan, swear to me that you won't ever do this again?" Desperation laced every word, and his throat began to strain from the effort of keeping it from breaking during every sentence. Staring urgently into Alan's eyes, Scott nearly screamed with happiness as his brother nodded tentatively.

"You've always been my hero, Scotty…"

Unsure as to whether the faint murmur that he thought he heard was actually uttered, Scott drew his brother into another hug, and slowly began to whisper words that he used to console him with every time Alan had padded through with bleary eyes, hair messed up and his favourite teddy slung under his arm after a nightmare.

As Scott trailed off, voice fading gently, he looked at his brother in his arms. At some point during the spoken words, Alan had fallen asleep against him. His features had gone lax and his eyes were shut peacefully. Scott stared at his brother for a few seconds before placing his forehead against Alan's and taking a deep breath. Softly, he whispered the words he hadn't said in so many years.

"You'll always be mine to protect, Allie. I love you."

Scott rested his head against Alan's for a few seconds longer, before gently placing his brother back down on the bed, rearranging his body to make him comfortable. When Scott was finally satisfied that Alan wouldn't fall off, or somehow hurt himself, he leaned back and looked at the youngest Tracy for a few second longer; his gaze lingering on Alan's closed eyes. Sliding off the bed quietly, and plopping down into the chair beside it, Scott drew in a shaky breath, leaning forwards against Alan again. Making sure he was in contact with his baby brother at all times, Scott grabbed Alan's hand before shutting his eyes and letting himself drift off, knowing that Alan would always be there, and that he would watch over him, no matter what.

_Being your brother is even better than being a hero to the world, Allie…_

-:O:-

"Well, John-o! I never knew you had it in you." Gordon grinned at his stunned older brother, who sat with a dumb-struck look slapped over his face. Plastering on a fake concerned voice and an innocent smile, Gordon continued taunting him. "Puh-lease tell me we didn't just interrupt you kissing Sarah? I mean - what a total catastrophe that would be!" Stepping closer in a daunting way, Gordon's smirk grew on his face and his eyes began to shine.

John's eyes slowly travelled up to Gordon's face from where they had been transfixed to a spot on the floor. Mouth still slightly agape, John swallowed loudly, attempting to get his rapidly beating heart to stop trying to escape his chest. Snapping his mouth closed, John could feel the colour rising to his cheeks and a few seconds later he felt the familiar burn that he acquired whenever he was embarrassed.

This time, he wasn't only mortally embarrassed, but he also felt a pang of frustration in his chest. He had been so close, and his brothers walked in at the wrong time again. From what he could remember, all his life, whenever he had been in an embarrassing situation, Gordon and at least another one of his brothers had shown up, causing him to scramble out of the room quickly. This time, John was forced to lie still and stare at his younger brothers' grinning faces.

Chuckling, Gordon reached forwards and shook the elder Tracy slightly, earning himself an angry glare.

"Don't stress Johnny. We won't say a word." Stifling a laugh, Gordon shook with silent laughter at the look on John's face. It was a mixture of embarrassment and horror, and even Virgil couldn't help the snort that escaped him.

Gazing mildly at his younger brother for a moment, John sat perfectly still, still not daring to move. A few seconds later, the reality of what his brothers had really seen sunk in and he slowly began to curl in on himself. Sliding down in the bed, John brought up his knees and placed his head on them wearily, arms wrapping around them tightly. Sighing, he let his arms fall and turned his head sideways. Eyeing Virgil - who stood in the doorway, leaning back against the frame, arms crossed and a knowing look on his face - John gave him a desperate plea with his eyes.

Understanding what his brother wanted, Virgil chuckled lightly and swaggered forwards, a mock sigh falling from his lips. Raising an arm, almost lazily, he slapped his hand down on Gordon's shoulder. Dramatically huffing, Virgil tightened his grip.

"Come on, fishy, leave the poor little space monkey alone." Virgil chortled, his tough manner diminishing as he looked at the indignant faces that appeared both of the other Tracys in the room. Slapping a hand on the aquanaut's back, laughing once again as Gordon jerked forwards, nearly tripping over, Virgil turned seriously to John.

"How are you feeling?" Virgil said, a frown marring his features for what felt like the billionth time that day. Lines creased his forehead and he placed a hand on John's arm protectively.

Swallowing once again, John shook his head, attempting to clear it of the hazy fog that had gathered when Sarah had first walked into the room.

"Uhh, I'm... fine. You?" Keeping to mono-syllabic words, John decided it would be best not to even talk unless he had to. He had found it immensely difficult to force those few words out anyway.

"Uhuh, I'm fine," Virgil replied, still scrutinising his elder brother carefully. Finally coming to the decision that John was really going to be ok, Virgil turned to his water-loving brother and smiled.

"So then Gordo, I wonder how much Scott is gonna hurt you next time he sees you." Grinning, he watched with amusement as Gordon turned a pale shade and shuddered violently.

"Wha'? What happened?" John frowned, bemused at what his younger brother had just said. Why would Scott put another Tracy in the hospital?

Laughing loudly, Virgil turned to John, eyebrows raised comically.

"Gordon here decided he would use Scott's favourite nickname against him. Then Scotty gave me permission to beat on him. But I, being the best, most sensible, best looking, strongest, smartest, level-headed Tracy, resisted." Looking smugly at his brothers, Virgil crossed his arms in satisfaction, watching the indignant looks fly back onto Gordon and John's faces.

Gordon scowled at his brother, before leaping towards him. Flinging an arm over Virgil's neck, Gordon proceeded to rub his fist over Virgil's head, causing the chestnut brown hair to stick up at the wildest angles imaginable. John's snorts increased when Virgil loudly protested, shrieking in the most feminine manner that he had ever heard.

Gordon, finally deciding he had had enough when Virgil began to shake, and released his brother and watched as he crumpled to the floor, groaning. Sitting up swiftly, hair still stuck up in array, Virgil gave the evilest look he could to Gordon, before attempting to flatten his hair down, and failing miserably. Standing up, he grabbed onto John's bed for support before watching Gordon who was howling with laughter, bent down and clutching his sides. Waiting as patiently as he could for a few minutes as Gordon fought to get himself under control, Virgil sighed. Sometimes, he really hated Gordon.

"Virge…" Breaking off, swiping a tear away from his eye, Gordon attempted to talk through his laughter. "Man, I though th-that _Alan _was a girl. You have to be th-the funniest g-guy ever!" Straightening himself up, his chuckles receded, and he sighed loudly, still grinning ear-to-ear. "Payback's a bitch, eh_**,**_ Virge?"

_TBC_


	10. Chapter 10

**Arrrrrrggghh! Umm, yes... I know it's been so long, and for that I'm truly sorry. I really don't have any excuse what so ever, so I'm not gonna sit here and lie. **

**A big, big thank you to everyone that reviewed, I really do cherish each one! Sorry to any reviews I can't reply to, but I do read them and smile. **

**Thanks to Little Miss Bump again for great beta-ing. Sorry to CC, I know I should have waited 'til you got back to me, but I couldn't wait any longer. My brain was telling me to get it out. Thanks anyway for looking at it, hun!**

**TB**

Jeff smiled softly, the heavy frown that had littered his features for the past day or two banished by the image in front of him. Standing to the edge of the dim hospital room, Jeff sighed at his two sleeping sons. His eldest was leant over Alan's bed, head resting on his arm which was curled up around the railings. His other hand was gripping his youngest brother's arm softly.

The last time he could remember Scott sleeping with Alan was when the younger boy had been only seven or eight. Alan had woken up screaming after a particularly bad nightmare, which had sent all of the elder Tracys fleeing from their own roomsand into Alan's. The oldest Tracy brother had been the only one able to calm him down, gently singing a song that had made Jeff's breath catch in his throat when he heard it. It had been the song that Lucy had used to sing to the boys when they had been in a situation like Alan's.

A grin appearing on his face, Jeff remembered how stubborn Scott had been, refusing to leave his brother, even after Alan had been subdued back into a thankfully dreamless sleep.

Bringing himself back into the present, Jeff silently wished he had a camera with him to snap the adorable scene between the two Tracy boys.

_How did I get this lucky?_

Watching his sleeping children for a few minutes, Jeff marvelled at Scott's ability to calm Alan down. No matter how many times Alan had been upset or scared in the past, Scott had always been able to soothethe younger boy, never failing to amaze the rest of the their family. Scott had always been eager with Alan, as he had been with all of his brothers. He had somehow managed to always keep his cool, and Jeff couldn't even remember a time that Scott had grown angry, or jealous that the younger children were getting more attention than he was. Of course there had been times when Scott had lost his patience and snapped, but it had always ended okay.

_Thank you, Scotty. I couldn't have done this without you. _

As he stood there, Jeff felt himself grow weary. Looking over Alan like this had suddenly made him remember how their rocky relationship had beenonly a few days ago. They had been at each other's throats and Jeff had been pushed to his limit with patience. Now he looked back, it dawned on him that Alan was just being a teenager. Feeling immediately remorseful for his actions, Jeff reminded himself to apologise as soon as he got the opportunity to.

The door to Alan's room suddenly opened loudly, yanking Jeff out of his thoughts harshly. Virgil stormed in, a scowl on his face, and opened his mouth as if to begin speaking. However, as soon as he caught sight of his elder brothers' positions, he snapped it closed again, the angry look on his face receding into a softer look of mild annoyance.

Walking over to his father, who now stood with his arms crossed and a look of relaxation upon his face_**, **_Virgil smothered a laugh as Scott twitched slightly in his sleep. The eldest Tracy son muttered something entirely unintelligible before snorting slightly and tossing his head to the other side. He faced towards them now, and both other conscious Tracys couldn't help but sigh at the peaceful look that had washed over Scott's face. They both knew how hard he was taking it, and Virgil couldn't help but inwardly wince. He still had not managed to completely shakeoff the feeling that he could have done something more for both of his currently admitted brothers.

The Tracy men stood side by sidefor a few moments longer, basking in the quiet tranquillity. It was Virgil who broke the comfortable silence a minute later.

"John's feeling better,_**"**_ Virgil whispered, careful not to raise his voice as to not disturb his sleeping siblings. "He woke up long enough to be interrupted in a very close situation with our favourite Doctor." Smirk creeping onto his face at the incredulous look his father gave him, Virgil nodded in response to his unasked question.

Jeff laughed along with Virgil at the thought of John and Sarah being stuck with Gordon's teasing, although Virgil sobered up quickly at the image of Gordon and John chuckling at him. Scowling, he pushed the thoughts out of his head and turned to his father.

"Has the doc said when Allie and John can get out of here yet?" Virgil questioned, seriousness creeping into his voice. Jeff shook his head in response and his son sighed once more. Lifting an aching arm, Jeff placed his hand on Virgil's tense shoulder reassuringly. When his son looked at him, Jeff merely smiled before dropping his arm heavily and turning to walk out of the secluded room. Taking one last look at his two of his sleeping children, Jeff felt his heart grow warm as he exited.

_Now to find some coffee, _Jeff thought, as his eyelids began grow heavy. Rubbing a hand over his face, he shook his head to try and aid the fight to stay awake.

Upon spotting a drinks machine a little way ahead of him, he sighed. Guessing that his sons would also probably feel as though they also wanted to hit the floor, Jeff made a few more cups of the caffeinated beverage before making one decaf. Grabbing a cardboard cup holder from beside the cups, he placed four steaming drinks into it. Swirling round, he slowly made his way back towards his elder son's current room.

Reaching the door a few minutes later, he balanced the holder in one hand and reached for the handle. Before he could fully open the door, however, he jumped as his name was called from behind him.

"Mr Tracy, I was hoping to run into you soon." Jeff turned to see Alan and John's doctor smiling at him warmly. Returning the look, Jeff let his grip go on the handle and turned to give her his full attention.

"I just wanted to let you know that John can be discharged as soon as I've finished the forms. He should be absolutely fine, as long as he doesn't over exert himself too much. Make sure he keeps himself resting for a few days, and no strenuous exercise for the remainder of this week." As Sarah spoke, Jeff smiled. He knew that John wouldn't be happy about resting. None of his sons had ever really been the patient type. "As for Alan, I'd like to keep him in for the next twenty-four hours for observation. If no complications arise, then he should be free to go. He also must refrain from any strenuous activities for at least two weeks. You'll need to change his bandages every few days to prevent a risk of an infection. And I must say Mr Tracy, he is a lucky kid. I've handled a lot of cases where people have neglected injuries and they've become infected. Just make sure that he doesn't put any extra strain on the affected area. Some of the stitches may pull if he does too much, so make sure to keep an eye on him," Sarah rattled off. Smiling at the man in front of her once again, she watched as he processed all the information.

Nodding, Jeff grinned his appreciation. "Thanks a lot, doctor. For everything you've done. Especially with the CPS..." his voice trailed off and he stuck out a hand. Sarah gripped it and shook it firmly.

"It's been a pleasure, Sir" Sarah replied, still feeling slightly giddy about being around Jeff Tracy. Turning around, she made a bee-line towards her office to grab the necessary forms she needed to release her patient.

Jeff watched her go with a smirk on his face. He quickly sobered at the thought of how John would be devastated to leave her behind.

Turning round back towards the door, Jeff grabbed the handle again and pushed it open. Stepping in, he saw Gordon sitting in the chair beside John's bed, a lazy grin on his face. John was sitting up, his face slightly pink. Both turned towards Jeff as he entered, smiling when he walked over. Holding up the drinks in his hand, Jeff sat down in the remaining chair next to Gordon. Handing his son the coffee closest to him on the right, Jeff raised an eyebrow as Gordon snatched it quickly from his grasp.

Gordon took a few large gulps of the drink before looking at his two family members oddly. Both were staring at him with identical expressions of amusement. He shrugged nonchalantly, and just said "tired", as though it explained everything.

Jeff snickeredto himself as he watched his son eagerly drain the cup. What Gordon didn't know wouldn't hurt him, and Jeff didn't feel the need to tell him that he had just drunk the only decaf coffee.

Jeff placed down the box on the small table next to the bed and smiled at his elder son.

"The doctor came and just told me that you can be released as soon as she's finished signing your papers. However, I've been told to not allow you to anything but rest for a couple days. No exercising for a while, and if there's any family business to tend to, you're sitting out, buddy." Grinning at look that came across John's face that accompanied the 'damnit' he uttered under his breath, Jeff patted his son's arm.

"Hey Dad, what about Alan? When's he allowed out?" Jeff turned to face Gordon, who was looking at him with a more serious expression.

"The doc. wants to keep him in for another twenty-four hours, to be sure that nothing else is, or goes wrong. Then we can take him home, and have a lengthy discussion about just what he was thinking." The eldest Tracy frowned, his happy mood suddenly dissipating.

Gordon swallowed beside him, knowing that if his father acted like he usually did when it came to Alan,he would lay into the youngest Tracy hard. With his dad and Alan, fights were never small or short-lived. They always escalated from a few wrongly said words on either sideand ended up a screaming match that Scott, Virgil or himself broke up or died out ofits own accord after around an hour. John was usually up on his 'bird, but somehow managed to hear about the rows, and generally called his youngest brother. He had always been good at listening, and Alan made good use of that.

There had been many times in the past when Alan had stormed off into his room and left, walking down to his favourite spot on the sandy shores of the Island, only to be found a few hours later by a frantic Scott who had been searching when he had found his sibling no longer in the house. Needless to say, it resulted in Scott snapping at Alan for running off and the youngest Tracy becoming even more temperamental.

"Dad, don't go too hard on him. I'm sure he had a... well, not _good _reason, but some sort of explanation," Gordon tried to reason with his father. Looking into the older man's eyes, Gordon aimed to get across his feeling of sorrow for Alan, hoping to get Jeff to stand down slightly.

Jeff sighed when his fourth son strived to give him the 'puppy dog look' that he had not mastered. Knowing that Gordon was most likely right, he nodded his head and took a sip of his drink. A smile spread across Gordon's face and he clapped a hand on Jeff's shoulder.

"Thanks Dad."

Letting his hand slip from his father's arm where it had been resting, Gordon gave a wide yawn. His jaw clicked and he groaned.

"That was decaf, wasn't it?" He asked, instantly feeling even more tired. Running a hand through his hair, Gordon felt his eyes and head droop simultaneously as Jeff and John grinned. Giving one last mock look of hurt, all he managed to get out was "_traitor_", before he slumped back in his chair, head falling limp, fast asleep.

Jeff chuckled at his lightly snoring son, John joining in the light humour.

Suddenly, feeling his own eyes droop, John mirrored the yawn that Gordon gave a few moments ago.

"Go to sleep, Son, I'll wake you when your forms have been finished."

Nodding slightly, John lethis neck relax and his head dropped back lightly onto the pillow. Within seconds, he had joined his younger brother in a dreamless sleep.

TB

Smirking, Virgil stood in Alan's room, arms out-stretched, clutching his phone in his hands. He had remembered the device, and instantly a plan had formed. Fumbling with it in his jeans pocket, he hastened to flip it open and hold down a small button on the side. Waiting as the screen changed and loaded, Virgil chuckled to himself quietly.

Stepping over to the right, he positioned himself at a better angle before pressing down another button. A click followed and he hesitated as the image stilled. The blurred lines faded and a grin split over his features as the picture loaded fully.

The scene had been captured, and Virgil made sure to save the image. It showed his older brother protectively curling his hand around Alan's, a moment of softness adorning his lax face. Alan's slightly pale face was relaxed, his head tipped towards his personal Mother Hen. It was the most peaceful scene he had ever seen between the two Tracy's at the opposite ends of the age scale. It certainly wasn't an opportunity to be missed.

Virgil laughed once more before he snapped it closed and walked over to his sleeping brothers. Placing a hand on Scott's shoulder, he felt tears prick at his eyes. Sliding his gaze over to Alan's features, he sighed. He screwed up his face as an image hit him from earlier. Seeing Alan like that was the most heart-wrenching thing he had ever experienced. Knowing how close he had come to losing his youngest brother would remain in his head forever, and the feelings of guilt niggled at the back of his mind still.

_If only I had known..._

Sighing once more, he removed his hand from Scott's shoulder. Said older brother sniffed and squeezed his eyes shut tighter. He pushed up his back until a click could be heard and virtually sagging in relief, before opening his eyes and staring up blearily at Virgil. Reaching up a hand, he rubbed it over the slight stubble that had grown over his chin. Blinking heavily a few more times, he proceeded to straighten up with a quiet groan.

"Virge?" Scott's voice was still muffled with sleep and his hastily rubbed his eyes. Letting out a satisfied moan, he looked around for a clock. Grunting as he noticed the time, he turned to look at his brother who stood with a grin on his face and a gleam in his eyes that the oldest Tracy son couldn't place.

"What?" he asked suspiciously, fearing the answer. He suddenly recognised the gleam as the familiar one that Gordon wore before and while he was playing a prank. Not so much after he had been unceremoniously dumped in the pool by one of the other Tracys.

Virgil hastened to remove the look off his face and tried to opt for an innocent one. Needless to say it didn't work and ended up an even smugger look.

He coughed, clearing his throat. "Nothing, dearest big brother. Why would you think anything was up?" The barely concealed sarcasm probably didn't help his case, Virgil mused.

Scott lifted an eyebrow before retorting with narrowed eyes, "You look like Gordon."

A silence followed for a few seconds before a daunting look of horror appeared on Virgil's face. He scrubbed both hands roughly over his face, desperately trying to remove all traces of his brother's look.

Scott continued to look on skeptically as Virgil looked round the room guiltily, seeking an escape. His eyes darted from the ceiling to the door and back again. Not meeting his brother's gaze, he smiled, biting his lip.

"Bit cruel, Scotty. How could you ever say that anyone looked like _that _fish?" Desperate to get the subject off his facial expression of guilt, he cleared his throat again. Ignoring the pointed look from Scott, he eyed his brother's hand that was still covering Alan's.

Scott followed Virgil's gaze down his arm. He hadn't even realised he had been grasping Alan's hand until now. A smile gently lifting the corners of his mouth, Scott lifted his other hand and placed it on his baby brother's forehead, swiping the bangs out of his eyes.

Looking over at Virgil, he released his grip on Alan and made his way to stand up. As he stood, the world suddenly tilted and his head swirled. Choking, his vision swayed and he tilted forwards, placing shaking hands onto Alan's bed. Gripping the rail tightly, he took shuddering breaths as the world slowly righted itself. Feeling a hand on his back, he clenched his eyes before shaking his head lightly.

"Whoa... head rush." He coughed, placing a still shaking hand on his temple. Feeling Virgil's hawk-like gaze on the back of his head, he patted his arm reassuringly, looking more confident than he felt. His face was pale and he smiled weakly.

"Scott, maybe you should sit do-"

"No. Uh, no, I'm fine." Looking over to the door, he planned an escape. "I'll grab a drink Virge. I'll be fine." And with that, he sped off towards the door, causing Virgil's arm to fall limply by his side.

As he watched his oldest brother speed away, Virgil frowned. The last thing they needed was for Scott to get himself ill. He reminded himself to talk to their father as he watched Scott's retreating back.

_Why does everybody have the darn Tracy stubbornness? Darn you, Dad! _

Looking back over at his sleeping brother's face, he sighed for what felt the millionth time and sat down.

"Just you and me now, kiddo."

_**TBC. **_


	11. Chapter 11

**Well hey guys! How long has it been? I'm terribly sorry for the massive gap, I don't have an excuse. Sorry guys. **

**This is the final chapter of the story! I hope you've enjoyed it and thanks for sticking with me through the whole thing. **

**Special thanks to Little Miss Bump. Without her, I'd be lost! Thanks!**

**Now, I have one more question before you start reading. Sequel or no sequel? **

**Enjoy!**

**-:0:-**

A slow and steady bleeping was the first sound that registered in his mind. Groggily, he opened his eyes and was met with the blurry image of the white panelled ceiling. Taking a deep breath, Alan blinked a few times in an attempt to rid himself of the sleep that fogged his vision. Releasing a sigh, he turned his head slightly to the rightto be greeted by the welcoming sight of his brother smiling at him softly.

"Hey," Alan croaked out, throat still slightly sore.

"Hey yourself," Virgil replied, the corners of his lips stretching upwards further. "How are you feeling?"

Alan closed his eyes, accepting that he was going to receive a round of twenty-questions now that he was awake. "I'm..." he hesitated as he tried to assess how he actually did feel. "Okay, I think. Better than before."

Virgil nodded his head approvingly. "Good." He smiled again, happy to see that some colour had returned to his brother's cheeks. "You had us all pretty scared, you know."

Sighing again, Alan nodded his head sheepishly. "I know. I'm sorry, Virge, I know it was stupid."

"Just don't do it again, okay? Promise me that. I don't need grey hairs quite yet, thank you."

Chuckling, Alan nodded again. Looking into Virgil's eyes to show he truly meant it, he smiled gratefully at his elder brother. A few seconds passed and Alan felt a small squeeze on his hand as Virgil gripped it tighter to show he understood. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, each relishing the peace. It was rare to get a moment of quiet in their family.so it was nice to bask in it for a minute or two now and again when it did occur.

"So Virge, when can I get out of here? I hate hospitals," Alan whined, jutting out his bottom lip childishly.

Grinning at his brother's antics, Virgil sat back in the uncomfortable plastic chair and ran his fingers along the creased bedsheets. He was glad to see his little brother acting more like his usual self. "The doctor said they want to keep you in overnight just to be sure, but then you're free to go. You've got to take it easy, though; norescues for you for a while yet. Although, that was probably a given anyway, seeing as Dad's pretty determined to never let you out of his sight again. He was so worried Al, itwas worse than Scott's snakebite." Giving his brother a pointed look, Virgil added, "Be warned, I think he's beating Scooter on the mother hen scale."

Shuddering, Alan squeezed his eyes shut. He hoped his Dad wouldn't be mad still. He could still hear his father's yells in his office when they arrived home after the accident.

"_What the hell were you thinking?"_

"_Of all the stupid things you've done..."_

"_...plain irresponsible and stupid!"_

Shaking his head to force the words out of his mind, he fixed his gaze back on the ceiling above. Silently starting to count the panels, Alan relaxed back into the pillow. Feeling Virgil's gaze on him, he let out a heavy breath and shut his eyes. Before long, he felt sleep beginning to pull him, and he welcomed to dark as it rushed to greet him.

-:0:-

_12 hours later._

"Your bloods are fine, stats are normal and there is no sign of infection. As long as you keep changing the bandages and taking these antibiotics, it should heal fine. However, there is likely to be some scarring, but to what extent it is uncertain yet. The wound was fairly deep and should take a while to be fully healed, so you'll need to rest it for at least two weeks. No crazy stunts, okay?" Sarah smiled down at her patient. Handing over a small brown bag with the antibiotics in, she took her leave. "I'll let you get changed. Take it easy, I don't want to see you back here with an infection any time soon. If the pain is bad take two Advil at a time, at least four hours between doses."

Grinning at his doctor, Alan took the bag. His IV had been removed, and he was sitting with his legs over the edge of the bed, Scott's hand on his shoulder for support. Jeff stood next to Sarah, a small smile playing at his lips. He was glad to see his youngest boy feeling better.

"Thanks, Doc. For everything."

She smiled one last time and walked to the door. "Nice meeting you, Mr Tracy." She finally disappeared out of the room with a last glance at Jeff.

Alan placed the bag on the bed next to him as he slipped his body off the side. Cautiously resting his feet on the floor, he pushed himself up and stood. Turning to look at his two family members, he smiled.

"I got this, Scotty; I'll be fine getting changed."

Smirking down at his youngest brother, Scott nodded and glanced at his father who stepped up towards them. He took this as a sign to leave and followed the path the doctor had left through.

As soon as Scott had left, Alan began to dress himself. Ignoring the twinge in his back, he untied the ribbon at the top of the garish hospital gown and proceeded to remove his arms from it. He stopped short when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Tensing, he turned to meet his father's gaze and was surprised when it was filled with tenderness.

"Here, let me." Jeff spoke softly, eyes never once drifting from his son's. He proceeded to help slip the gown off his son and thread his arms through a plain white t-shirt. Also helping his son into some jeans, Jeff smiled when his son turned to face him. A smile had spread across the teenager's lips and the colour had returned to his cheeks.

"Dad, I..." Alan began, trailing off when he couldn't find the right words. Instead, he chose to throw himself carefully into his father's arms, burying his head into the taller man's shoulder. Taken by surprise, Jeff stood stock still for a fraction of a second, his expression stunned. Then quickly he wrapped his arms around his youngest, mindful of his back.

"Alan, I'm so sorry the way I yelled at you before. God, I... You don't know how it felt when you ran back into that building. I was so sure I would lose you in there buddy." Squeezing his son gently, he ruffled the blonde locks that were extremely unkempt. "Please Alan; never do anything like that to us again." Pulling away, he held his son at arm's length, staring into the baby blue orbs intently.

"I won't, Dad, I promise." The reply was so sincere that Jeff had no other response but to pull Alan in for another hug.

"Come on, Son. Let's go home."

**Fin.**


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